The nameBiblia pauperum is not exactly a book title but was applied to this type of document by Gerard Meerman in 1765,^[1] replacing old designations such asHistoriae et Vaticinia Veteris Testamenti orTypos et Antitypos Veteris et Novi Testamenti.^[2]

The scenes and prophecies present in the older manuscripts are more variable. In the blockbook versions, the number of scenes from the New Testament usually are 34, 40 or 50. The accompaning prophecies from de Old Testament may varies also. The list below contains the scenes present in the 50 leaves version of theBibliothèque nationale de France:^[3]

• 1. Birth of the Virgin Mary
• 2. Betrothal of the Virgin Mary to Joseph
• 3. Annunciation
• 4. Visitation
• 5. Nativity
• 6. Circumcision of Christ
• 7. Adoration of the Magi
• 8. Presentation in the Temple
• 9. Flight into Egypt
• 10. Fall of the Idols in Egypt
• 11. Massacre of the Innocents
• 12. Return of the Holy Family from Egypt
• 13. Baptism of Christ
• 14. Temptation of Christ
• 15. Raising of Lazarus
• 16. Transfiguration
• 17. Mary Magdalene anointing Christ's feet
• 18. Christ weeping over Jerusalem
• 19. Entry into Jerusalem
• 20. Expulsion of the money-changers
• 21. Judas offerring to betray Christ
• 22. Judas receives the thirty pieces of silver
• 23. Last Supper
• 24. Christ goes with Peter, James and John to Gethsemani
• 25. Agony in the Garden
• 26. Betrayal of Christ
• 27. Buffeting of Christ
• 28. Flagellation of Christ
• 29. Crowning with thorns
• 30. Christ accused before Pilate
• 31. Carrying of the Cross
• 32. Christ being nailed to the Cross
• 33. Crucifixion
• 34. Piercing of Christ's side
• 35. Deposition of Christ
• 36. Lamentation of Christ
• 37. Entombment of Christ
• 38. Harrowing of Hell
• 39. Resurrection
• 40. The holy women at the sepulchre
• 41. Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene (Noli me tangere)
• 42. Christ appearing to the Apostles (Pax vobis)
• 43. Incredulity of Thomas
• 44. Ascension of Christ
• 45. Pentecost
• 46. Coronation of the Virgin
• 47. Last Judgement
• 48. Hell (sinners dragged into hell)
• 49. Heaven (Abraham's bosom)
• 50. The faithful receive the Crown of Eternal Life

The different versions ofBiblia pauperum can be classified in the following main groups, with some exemples indicated.

• Manuscript families^[4]
  • Weimar group
  • German narrative type
    • Text version A
    • Text version B
    • Text version C
  • Munich-London group
  • Austrian group
  • Western group
  • Kremsmünster group
• Xylographic editions^[5]
  • Dutch editions in Latin with 40 sheets
    • First group
      • Edition I - British Museumexemplar, "C.1"
      • Edition II -
      • Edition III - British Museum exemplar, "C.3"; Bodleian Library exemplar, "Douce 248"
    • Second group
      • Edition IV - Library of Congress exemplar, "Incun. X .B562"
      • Edition V -
      • Edition VI -
      • Edition VII -
    • Third group
      • Edition VIII -
      • Edition IX -
    • Fourth group
      • Edition X -
  • German edition in Latin with 34 sheets (xylo-chirographic edition, with manuscript text and woodcut illustrations)
    • Bibliotheca Palatina unique exemplar, "Cod. Pal. germ. 438"
  • German editions in German language with 40 sheets
    • Walthern 1470 edition
    • Sporer 1471 edition
  • Dutch edition in Latin with 50 sheets
    • BnF unique exemplar, "Xylo-5"
  • Italian edition in Italian language with 120 sheets (but with 40 scenes)
    • Bodleian Library exemplar, "Douce B 148"
• Typographic editions (with typographic text and woodcut illustrations)
  • Pfister 1460s edition
  • Vérard 1504 edition

In chronological order:

Xylos

• https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/en/view/bsb10929171?page=27 -
• https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/en/view/bsb10929171?page=490 -

Manuscripts

• https://handschriftencensus.de/werke/1894 - OK
• https://kdih.badw.de/datenbank/stoffgruppe/16 - ok

■ Berlin, Staatl. Museen - Kupferstichkabinett, Cim. 5

■ Dresden, Landesbibl., Mscr. P 30

■ Graz, Landesarchiv, Hs. 3https://kdih.badw.de/datenbank/handschrift/16/0/3

■ Konstanz, Rosgartenmuseum, Hs. 4https://kdih.badw.de/datenbank/handschrift/16/0/8

□ Kopenhagen, Königl. Bibl., GKS Cod. 1377,4°https://kdih.badw.de/datenbank/handschrift/16/0/7

■ Moritzburg, Schlossbibl., ohne Sign.https://kdih.badw.de/datenbank/handschrift/16/0/10

■ München, Staatsbibl., Cgm 3974https://kdih.badw.de/datenbank/handschrift/16/0/15

• Berjeau, J. P. (1859).Biblia Pauperum: reproduced in facsimile, from one of the copies in the British Museum with an historical and bibliographical introduction. London: J. Russell Smith.
• Camesina, A.; Heider. G. (1863).Die Darstellungen der Biblia Pauperum in einer Handschrift des XIV. Jahrhunderts: aufbewahrt im Stifte St. Florian im Erzherzogtume Oesterreich ob der Enns. Wien: Prandel & Ewald.
• Cornell, Henrik (1925).Biblia Pauperum. Stockholm: Thule-Tryck.
• Dyrness, William A. (2004).Reformed Theology and Visual Culture. The Protestant Imagination from Calvin to Edwards. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press. p. 37.ISBN 978-0-521-54073-5.
• Ehwald, R. (1906).Biblia Pauperum. Deutsche Ausgabe von 1471. Weimar: Gesellschaft der Bibliophilen.
• Einsle, A.; Schönbrunner, J. (1890).Biblia Pauperum. Facsimile-Reproduction, getreu nach dem in der Erzherzoglich Albrecht'schen Kunst-Sammlung "Albertina" befindlichen Exemplar. Wien: Hartleben.
• Engelhardt, Hans (1927).Der theologische Gehalt der Biblia Pauperum. Straßburg: Heitz.
• Forstner, Karl (1969).Die Salzburger Armenbibel. Codex a IX 12 aus der Erzabtei St. Peter zu Salzburg. Salzburg/München: Pustet Verlag.
• Friedemann-Soller, Margarethe (1921).Die münchener Handschriften der Biblia Pauperum. Erfurt.
• Heesen, Anke te (2002)."Within the Tradition of the Biblical Image (pp. 65ff.)".The World in a Box. The Story of an Eighteenth-Century Picture Encyclopedia. Chicago:University of Chicago Press.ISBN 978-0-226-32286-5.
• Heitz, Paul; Schreiber, W. L. (1903).Biblia pauperum: Nach dem einzigen Exemplare in 50 Darstellungen (früher in Wolfenbüttel, jetzt in der Bibliothèque nationale). Strassburg.
• Henry, Avril (1987).Biblia Paupeum: A Facsimile and Edition. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
• Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Biblia Pauperum". In:Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
• Kristeller, P. (1906).Biblia pauperum: Unicum der Heidelberger Universitäts-Bibliothek, in 34 Lichtdrucktafeln und 4 Tafeln in Farbenlichtdruck. Berlin: Bruno Cassirer.
• Laib, Pfarrer; Schwarz, Franz Joseph (1867).Biblia Pauperum nach dem Original in der Lyceumsbibliothek zu Constanz. Zürich: Leo Würl, 1867.
• Manning, Tamara (2001).The Internet Biblia Pauperum. Chicago: University of Illinois at Chicago.
• Ott, Norbert H. (1996) "Biblia pauperum". In:Katalog der deutschsprachigen illustrierten Handschriften des Mittelalters. Vol. 2. München: Bodemann, p. 249−255.
• Schmidt, Gerhard (1959).Die Armenbibeln des XIV. Jahrhunderts. Köln: Graz.
• Schreiber, Wilhelm Ludwig (1929).Manuel de l'amateur de la gravure sur bois et sur métal au XVe siècle, Tome 4, Contenant un catalogue des livres xylographiques et xylo-chirographiques indiquant les différences de toutes les éditions existantes, avec des notes critiques bibliographiques et iconologiques. Leipzig: Otto Harrassowitz. [See p. 1-113].
• Soltész, Elisabeth (1967).Biblia Pauperum. Die vierzigblättrige Armenbibel in der Bibliothek der Erzdiözese Esztergom. Berlin: Union Verlag.
• Sotheby, S. L. (1858).Principia Typographica. The Block-Books, or Xylographic Delineations of Scripture History. Volume III. London: Walter McDowall. p. 162-186.
• Unwin Brothers (1885).Biblia Pauperum. New York: A. C. Armstrong & Son.

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 This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Biblia Pauperum".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.