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September 21, 2020

Septembertestament

Martin Luther is best known for the 95 Theses written in 1517. But did you know he was the first to translate the Bible into an easy-to-read, everyday German? Luther’s first New Testament was printed on this day in September 1522 and—as is often the case in German—was (later) identified by a single lengthy compound word: das Septembertestament. On display at Museum of the Bible, a 1524 edition printed in Wittenberg, Germany, features 44 woodcut illuminations heightened with gold in what is known as a Fürstenkolorit. Another compound word, Fürstenkolorit reveals this New Testament was created for an aristocrat in full color. For aristocrats and the working class, the Septembertestament proved to be a boon to all Germans eager to read the Bible in their own language.

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