The oldest Slavonic translations of the Bible of the German series entitled “Biblia Slavica”

Abstract

As the title has already informed this paper is devoted to the oldest translations of Holy Scripture into Slavonic languages. We must say that the main German initiators (prof. Reinhold Olesch and prof. Hans Rothe) of this great and important „Biblia Slavica” project opened a new stage in the history of Slavonic Bible translations. These re-editions have been published in a facsimile form of the biblical monuments (i.e. manuscripts or old prints) with additions of scientific elaboration (German: Kommentare) written by German, American and other specialists from the country, where the Bible came into being. The series „Biblia Slavica” is very helpful for scientists, who are interested in history, language, biblical philology, culture, spirituality etc. The series has been divided by its editors into five groups: I. Czech Bibles, II. Polish Bibles, III. East-Slavonic Bibles, IV. South-Slavonic Bibles and V. Farther Bibles. I concentrated mainly on the Polish Bibles, i.e. The New Testament of Stanisław Murzynowski of 1551-1552, The Leopolita Bible of 1561, The Brest Bible of 1563, The Budny Bible of 1572 and The Wujek Bible of 1599. It belongs to add that the first printed Polish Bible, i.e. The Leopolita Bible of 1561, initiated the whole „Biblia Slavica” series.