The German printer Johann Gutenberg is credited with the printing the Bibles on a hand made printing press using the movable type, in the year 1455. This was an important landmark as the publications could now be printed instead of being copied by hand, which happened to be a long as well as a tedious process. Also known as the 42 line Bibles these happen to be the most famous piece of printed material in the world. Gutenberg originally printed 180 copies of the Bible, which were bound in leather in two volumes and sold to wealthy patrons around the European continent. The most expensive of these Bibles were printed on vellum. The rest of Gutenberg’s Bibles were printed on a controversial hemp based paper product that many believed would not withstand the test of time. Many of these Bibles are no longer in existence. Only a few complete copies of the 42 line bible are currently known to exist. In addition to these complete works, there is only one complete version of the New Testament outside of the eleven complete works. This version is on vellum. Additionally, there are 48 other copies of Gutenberg’s Bibles that were printed on the hemp based paper. There are three perfect vellum copies still in existence. These Bibles are located in France, England, and the United States. In France, the complete vellum version is located in the Bibliotheque Nationale in the capital city of Paris. This massive library also houses a variety of rare and costly books. England’s copy of the complete vellum Gutenberg Bible is located in the country’s British Library in London. This library is home to a phenomenal collection of books, including original works by hometown hero, William Shakespeare. The third perfect vellum copy of the Gutenberg Bible is in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. A fourth and final perfect vellum copy of the Bible rests in Goettigen, Germany’s Universitaetsbibliothek. There are more perfect copies on paper in existence. These copies are located in Austria, Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Spain, and the United States. There are approximately eighteen perfect copies in existence printed on the once controversial hemp based paper product. There is even a copy of one of Gutenberg’s Bibles in Asia. The Keio University Library in Tokyo is home to an incomplete, but still important copy of the 42 line Bible. This Bible is an imperfect copy printed on hemp based paper. Purchased in 1987 for a phenomenal $4.9 million by the Maruzen Company of Tokyo, the Bible was given to the University in 1996. Apart from these, many imperfect copies of Gutenberg Bibles exist in the universities, libraries, and private collections all over Europe. You can have a look at them when you travel in Europe. You can also see the complete or incomplete versions of a Gutenberg Bible, on the World Wide Web from the comfort of your home. They have been digitized and are available for viewing. If you want to find a Bible in an area near you or where you plan to travel, go to the Gutenberg Bible census (http://clausenbooks.com/gutenbergcensus.htm).