This leaf comes from the 1483 German Bible printed by Anton Koberger in Nuremberg, one of the most influential printers of the fifteenth century. Koberger’s Bible is among the most important illustrated Bibles of the incunabula period and represents the final flowering of medieval biblical book production prior to the Reformation.
The text preserves 1 Kings 15–16, recounting the reigns of Abijah and Asa of Judah and Jeroboam and Baasha of Israel, set against a backdrop of political instability and warfare between the divided kingdoms. The accompanying contemporary hand-colored woodcut depicts military conflict and reflects the standardized illustration cycle used throughout the Koberger Bible.
Printed in Early High German, this Bible predates Luther’s German translation by several decades and offers valuable insight into late medieval vernacular Scripture.
Specifications
Book: 1 Kings (Das dritt Buch der Könige)
Chapters: 15–16
Printer: Anton Koberger
Place: Nuremberg
Date: 1483
Language: Early High German
Illustration: Hand-colored woodcut
Material: Laid paper
Leaf dimensions: approx. 30 × 20 cm
Condition
Well preserved with light toning and minor wear consistent with age. No restoration or modern intervention.
