On 16 June 2022, the public mini-conference “Religion and Science” takes place in Tallinn University of Technology’s auditorium NRG-226. A bible-themed exhibition “Scripture. From the manuscript to the Estonian Bible” will be opened as a part of the conference on 9 June at 13.00 in the glass gallery between the library and NRG building.
The Bible has played an important role in the history of the Industrial Revolution. The translation of the Bible into national languages began in Europe as early as 13th–15th century. Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press provided unprecedented opportunities for the spread of the Bible. The first complete Bible in Estonian was published in 1739 in the northern dialect of Estonian. Printing 6015 copies of the 1400-page two-colour masterpiece was an expensive undertaking and it became a turning point in the history of Estonia. It was the beginning of the wider spread of literacy in Estonia and marked the rise of Estonians among literary nations. It was also the basis for the development of a unified Estonian written language and education in mother tongue and enabled the emergence of statehood.
The exhibition has been compiled by the Estonian Bible Society, with the help of Cambridge University Library, the congregation of St. John’s Church in Tallinn, Tallinn City Archives, Tallinn City Museum, and Bible societies of many European countries.
The exhibition is open from 9 June to 15 July 2022.
