Printing and Modern Bibles — Hebrew and Greek Source Editions
The Complutensian Polyglot Bible
AD 1514-1517; published 1520
The Complutensian Polyglot printed biblical texts in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Latin in coordinated columns.
Full Account
Sponsored by Cardinal Francisco Ximenez de Cisneros, the six-volume project assembled scholars at Alcala. The New Testament volume was printed in 1514, before Erasmus, although the complete work received permission for distribution later. Its Old Testament presented the Hebrew text, the Latin Vulgate, the Septuagint, and portions of the Aramaic Targum.
Historical Significance
The polyglot made major ancient textual traditions visible together and became an important monument of Renaissance biblical scholarship.
People, Places and Sources
- Key people: Francisco Ximenez de Cisneros; Diego Lopez de Zuniga; Antonio de Nebrija
- Key places: Alcala de Henares
- Languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Latin