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Palestine to Print Hebrew Bible for First Time in History

July 14, 1943
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The first Bible in Hebrew characters ever to be printed in Palestine will be issued here soon, it was disclosed today by Dr. Judah L. Magnes, president of the Hebrew University.

Palestine, the land in which most of the Bible was written, has never produced a version printed in Hebrew since the Jews had been dispersed many centuries before the invention of printing. The first section of the Bible to be printed in Hebrew characters was published at Bologna, Italy, in 1477.

Revealing that preparations are now under way at the University for the casting and setting of the type, Dr. Magnes said that the University press association’s purpose is “to publish an accepted text with scrupulous fidelity to every detail and to follow the Jewish tradition in all minutes.” Printing the Bible in Hebrew involves a tremendous undertaking since the entire volume must be set by hand.

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