Gutenberg Press Prints World’s Largest Bible Page To Commemorate 625th Anniversary

In a fitting tribute to Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, the International Gutenberg Society unveiled what they claim is “the world’s largest page of the Bible” on April 26 in Mainz, Germany. This colossal reproduction of the first page of the Gospel of John is 23.6ft high and 16.4ft wide and marks the 625th anniversary of Gutenberg’s birth.

The record-breaking page was crafted using a massive wooden printing block, constructed “from the largest industrial paper rolls available on the market,” according to Markus Kohz, the project’s initiator, in a statement to the Evangelischer Pressedienst. The printing block itself was a dozen computer-machined wooden printing blocks.” To transfer the ink onto the paper, a car was driven over the blocks, pressing the ink into large rolls of paper affixed to the structure.

Notably, the Gutenberg Bible was the first major book to be printed using mass-produced metal movable type. It was created in Mainz in the 1450’s and of the nearly 160 copies that were produced, only two dozen remain in their entirety. It is often regarded as the rarest and most expensive book in the world and hasn’t come up for sale at auction in more than 50 years.

The printing process for the behemoth bible page, which took nearly three hours from inking to completion, wasn’t flawless, however. Kohz noted that the page “has some printing errors because the car missed a small spot while driving over the blocks.” Undeterred, the team produced a second page the following day with the help of festival attendees, who “enthusiastically ran over the printing block and helped to transfer ink onto the huge sheet.”

Presently, the page is being showcased in the choir of Mainz Cathedral, where it will remain on display until August 31 as part of the city’s cultural summer program.

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