Biblia Sacra is an electronic bibliography, allowing its users to request information (text and reproductions) on bibles, individual bible books or parts thereof, printed in the Netherlands and Belgium, or bibles printed in other countries that might reasonably be expected to be destined for the Dutch or Belgian market.
Biblia Sacra provides extensive descriptions and numerous reproductions of typographical and iconographical material. It gives information on both the editions and the individual copies, such as provenance and binding. Other important data in the bibliography covers bible illustrations, printing types, prefaces, translators, printers, and previous owners.
As a rule, all bibles printed in the Low Countries are presented in the electronic bibliography, whatever language they may be printed in. However, only translations of the bible text itself are included. Examples of portions of bible books or bibles that are part of the bibliography are penitential psalms, florilegia (if the texts originate from published translations) and Epistolae et Evangelia. Excluded are all adaptations, such as rhymed versions, retellings, rearrangements or reordering. Examples hereof are Souterliedekens (rhymed Psalm songs), lifes of Jesus, books of hours, litanies, the Lord’s prayers, passions, sermons wherein parts of the bible are quoted, and picture bibles.
Biblia Sacra offers simple and extensive search methods to help each user.
The work on the bibliography has been carried out in phases. The first phase covered the description and analysis of the bibles from the period 1477-1553. The second phase focused on the description and analysis of the bibles dating from 1554 to 1800.
In order to obtain an accurate description of the editions from the period 1447-1553 it was essential to include as many copies as possible in the study. With respect to the editions printed between 1554 and 1800 this is not necessary as much more information is available and is already being used (e.g. the STCN data). Only a few copies are analysed, and there is also less attention for specific copy-related characteristics, such as bindings and provenance.
