Biblia: das ist:|| Die gantze Heilige || Schrifft: Deudsch || Auffs New zugericht.|| D. Mart. Luth.||

Abstract

This copy is the second print from 1541 containing the books of the Old Testament from the First Book of Moses to the Song of Songs. The remarkable title page border quotes the famous painting by Lucas Cranach the Elder “Law and Grace (Verdammnis und Erlösung)”: The left side is the side of Law. It shows the erection of the brazen serpent, the fall of man and the judgement damnating man. The tree on this side is bald. The other side is the side of the gospel depicting the annunciation to the shepherds, the victory over death and the crucifixion of Christ. The tree here is leafy. The depiction of these two trees is founded on Luther’s words “Arbor mortis est lex, arbor vitae est Evangelium seu Christus“ (The tree of death is the law, the tree of life is the gospel or Christ). - Three autographs make the copy with the shelfmark Biblia sacra fol. 32 of the SBB-PK unique: On the front endpaper a commentary by Martin Luther on John 5.39 from 1542 with his own signature. Next to the title page there is a longish note by Caspar Cruciger on Psalm 93.19 from 1547 also signed in is own hand. On the back of the title page Johannes Bugenhagen wrote a short commentary on Matthew 16.16.