Biblia Pauperum

By Sabina Oporto Pérez

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The Bible of the Poor

This type of books was widespread in the Germanic world, from Holland to Austria and it is believed the Biblia Pauperum has a manuscript at its earliest form.. At the time of their printing, these books were called “concordatia historiarum” or “capitula Bibliae excerpta”, among other names, but they had no title. The title Biblia Pauperum was a term created at the end of the 17th century, when it became a subject of interest for early printers [10]. One of the explanations as for why they are called “Bible of the poor” come from the widespread use of these bibles by friars of mendicant orders like the Dominicans or Franciscans, since, as mentioned before, these bibles were cheaper (but still expensive) than illuminated ones. The “poor” aspect of them is related to the simple material used, the monochrome images and rough lines. Its “poor quality” is one of the reasons very few of them were able to be conserved until now [9]. In relation to this, some authors suggest that this book was used for conversion purposes:

Another use of the Biblia Pauperum may have been to assist in the conversion of the Jews. If anti-Judaism was characteristic of some segments of the medieval Church and society, other segments, overtly or covertly, sought to win the Jews to Christianity. Doing so was more expeditiously accomplished when the Jewish Old Testament was reconciled with the Christian New Testament.

For the complexity of the relationships between Types and Antitypes, Henry suggests this book was not designed as an aid for preachers of the poor (in his words: “the more stupid classes”), as other suggest. On the contrary, he argues this type of book must have been designed to offer a carefully structured meditative experience in the context of private devotion [12]. In his conception, these book might have been used for those who already knew what they the illustrations were showcasing and what relations they hold between them. The missconception of Medieval work being merely intructive is, in his point of view, misleading the interpretation of this book:

The surprisingly persistent notion that the medieval visual arts were designed to instruct the unlettered is based on a misconception. Little medieval art is merely instructive. Our modern response to medieval typology is sufficient evidence that pictures in this mode only ‘instruct’ if you already know what they mean. They then act as reminders of the known truth.

According to Henry, out of the 9 texts, 7 are always complex, not self-explanatory and are not direct quotations from the Bible. Thus, this author signals the following about the inscriptions located at spaces 8,9 & 12 on the diagram: “All but six of the hundred and twenty [texts] in the book are thought to be the invention of the Biblia Pauperum’s authors” [11]. Regarding the texts in the scrolls (3, 4, 10 & 11), he mentions they are less complex and their style “is that of the Vulgate, so that unlike other texts on the page they carry the authority of centuries of scriptural use and interpretation” [11]. Therefore, its typological structure is intellectually demanding.

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Interior of the Biblia Pauperum

The 40 illustrations contained in this Bible were made using a technique called xylography (wood engraving). Each of the images depicted in the center are scenes from the New Testament, particularly the Gospels [9]. Althought there are other formats in which this type of book was elaborated, the copy presented here belongs to the 40-leaf type and its known to have had ten different editions. These editions might differ in minor, sometimes barely noticeable, details but keep the same format and engravings. These books were sometimes colored, but the one presented here is not [10].

This type of book belong to the so called blockbooks, which were created by using a block of wood carved with images, and sometimes text. Because text sometimes was added into the carving, this type of book is considered an intermediate point between illuminated manuscripts and printed books after Gutemberg.

Theological relevance & Abraham prophecy

The Biblia Pauperum has two pages concerning the Crucifixion of Christ, the Antitype, and this is one of them, in which we can see him already dead, his side showing the open wound. Here, the sacrifice of Isaac is acting as one of the types related to this specific passage of the Scriptures. Henry elaborates on the roles depicted by the characters engraved in the center. By supporting the fainting Virgin, St. John is embodying obedient shouldering of responsibility; the helplessness of Mary is conveying grief; and Mary Magdalene’s facial expression symbolises the repentance. Meanwhile, the roman party is giving irony and mockery, reactions that, while not opposite to the ones of St. John, Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene, are not positive whatsoever [11].

The role of Isaac’s sacrifice in relation with Christ’ crucifiction is more than evident here. There is an obvious simil in the very concept of surrender to God’s will, be it by Abraham or by Jesus. In addition, the position of Abraham and Isaac at the left side of the Crucifixion makes a spatial argument; the Old Covenant literally leads into the New Covenant made by Jesus and God. The promise made by Him to Abraham that his offspring will be blessed due to his obedience is renew by Christ’s sacrifice. In this way, the page visually demonstrates how the Old Testament points towards the New.

The texts here help in making this relation explicit, as they are give brief clues of the link between the Types and the Antitype. The ones on the left side of the page are referring to Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac; for example, part the text at the top left reads “Abraham signifies the heavenly Father, who sacrificed his son on the cross for us all”. The one at position 10, however, invites since the connection to the central prophecy is not clear: “Can you capture Leviathan with a hook?”.

Transcription

1. Legitur in Genesi, xxii capitulo, [quod] cum Abraham gladium extendisset ut filium immolaret, angelus Domini ipsum de celo prohibuit dicens ne extendas manum tuam super puerum. Abraham Patrem Celestem significat qui Filium Suum, scilicet Cristum, pro nobis omnibus in cruce immolavit ut per hoc innueret signum amoris paterni.
2. Legitur in Libro Numeri, xxi capitulo, quod cum Dominus vellet populum quem serpentes momorderant de serpentibus Uberare, precepit Moysi ut faceret serpentem eneum et eum in ligno suspenderet ut quicumque illum inspiceret de serpentibus liberaretur. Serpens suspensus intuitusque a populo Cristum in cruce figurat quem intu[eri] debet omnis fidel[is] qui a serpente id est dyabolo vult liberari
   
3. David | Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos
4. Oblatus est quia ipse voluit et peccata nostra ipse portavit
5. [Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac]
6. [Crucifixion]
7. [Moses lifts up the Serpent]
8. Versus | Signantem Cristum puerum pater immolat istum
9. Versus | Lesi curantur serpentem dum speculantur
10. Job xl | Numquid capies leviathan hamo
11. Abacuc iii | Cornua in manibus ejus ibi abscondita est fortitudo ejus
12. Versus | Eruit a tristi baratro nos passio ix Cristi

Translation

1. According to Genesis xxii 7-18, when Abraham had raised his sword to sacrifice his son, an angel of the Lord prevented him from heaven, saying: ‘Do not lift your hand against the boy’. Abraham signifies the heavenly Father, who sacrificed his son (that is, Christ) on the cross for us all, so that in this way he might give an indication of the Father’s love.
2. According to Numbers xxi 4-8, when the Lord wanted to free from serpents the people whom the serpents had bitten he instructed Moses to make a brass serpent and hang it upon a stake so that whoever looked at it would be rid of serpents. The serpent hung up and stared at by the people signifies Christ on the cross, whom every believing person who whises to be rid of the serpent (that is, the devil) should gaze upon.
3. David, Psalm 21.17 | Thet have pierced my hands and my feet
4. Isaias liii 7, 11 | He was sacrificed because he himself wished it, and he bore our sins
5. [Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac]
6. [Crucifixion]
7. [Moses lifts up the Serpent]
8. The father sacrifices this boy who signifies Christ
9. The hurt are healed when they look at the serpent
10. Job xl 20 | Can you capture Leviathan with a hook?
11. Habacuc iii 4 | There are horns on his hands: there his strength is hidden
12. The suffering of Christ snatches us from the gloomy abyss

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Sources
8. Manning, Tamara. The Internet Biblia Pauperum. 2001 http://www.amasis.com/biblia/what.html
9. Vidalin, Antoine. When exegesis comes through the eyes. About J.-P. DEREMBLE, G. PASSERAT, F. CHÉNEAU, Dominican nuns (dir.), La Bible des pauvres, édition en fac-similé d’un manuscrit du XVe siècle, pref. Christian Heck (2021)
10. Daniel Bornemann, « X comme XYLOGRAPHIE », La Revue de la BNU [En ligne], 9 | 2014, mis en ligne le 01 mai 2014, consulté le 01 décembre 2025. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/rbnu/1861
11. Henry, Avril. Biblia Pauperum. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1987. Fascimile and edition.
12. BnF Essentiels. https://essentiels.bnf.fr/fr/image/3ca8f408-2049-4e3d-bcf2-ebda6dd7dbd5-biblia-pauperum-bible-pauvres-nativite
13. Labriola, Albert C. and Smeltz, John W. Biblia Pauperum. Pittsburgh: Duquesne University Press, 1990. Fascimile and edition of the British Library Blockbook.