<P> The Gutenberg Bible (also known as the 42 - line Bible, the Mazarin Bible or the B42) was the first major book printed using mass - produced movable metal type in Europe . It marked the start of the "Gutenberg Revolution" and the age of the printed book in the West . Widely praised for its high aesthetic and artistic qualities, the book has an iconic status . Written in Latin, the Gutenberg Bible is an edition of the Vulgate, printed by Johannes Gutenberg, in Mainz, in present - day Germany, in the 1450s . Since its publication, 49 copies (or substantial portions of copies) have survived, and they are considered to be among the most valuable books in the world even though no complete copy has been sold since 1978 . </P> <P> In March 1455, the future Pope Pius II wrote that he had seen pages from the Gutenberg Bible, being displayed to promote the edition, in Frankfurt . It is not known how many copies were printed, with the 1455 letter citing sources for both 158 and 180 copies . </P>

Who began the mass printing of bibles five centuries ago