Brest Bible

Printed in Brześć Litewski in 1563, the Brest Bible – also known as the Biblia Brzeska or Radziwiłł Bible – is one of the most important monuments of sixteenth-century Polish-language printing associated with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

The bibliographic record preserved by Wielkopolska Biblioteka Cyfrowa identifies the edition as Biblia swięta, tho iest, Księgi Starego y Nowego Zakonu, published in 1563 in Brześć Litewski, with Mikołaj “the Black” Radziwiłł named as publisher and the title itself announcing a translation from Hebrew, Greek and Latin sources.

For The Missing Canvas, the interest lies not only in the edition’s rarity, but also in its cultural importance within Lithuanian and Polish-Lithuanian history. We are interested in original 1563 copies, incomplete copies, copies in historic bindings, copies with annotations or notable provenance, and other significant survivals of this landmark edition.

What we are seeking

Original copies of the 1563 Brest Bible; incomplete copies and fragments; examples with aristocratic, ecclesiastical or institutional provenance; and copies that may have remained in private hands for generations.