The Bible in Culture and Art - Utet

Precious volume in a limited edition of 1499 copies marked with Arabic numerals from 1/1499 to 1499/1499 10 copies marked with the letters A to L are intended for representatives of the institutions, authors and creators of the work.

On the occasion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy , UTET Grandi Opere, in keeping with its vocation as a publisher who speaks for ethical values ​​and its tradition of creating works emblematic of the great events of the contemporary world, is today publishing a work of extraordinary and unique editorial value: The Bible in Culture and Art , created in collaboration with the Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation.

The planning and production of The Bible in Culture and Art , the fruit of special editorial commitment and effort, are the result of profound reflection on the biblical text, its history, and its characteristics. The result is a work characterized by its novelty, uniqueness, and harmonious coherence.

New because our goal was to create a work that would renew the lofty tradition of past masterpieces in the present, using the photographic techniques currently available.

Unique because we have done what was previously impossible, selecting a corpus of images of the highest expressive quality and accompanying the works of art with the scripture passages that inspired them, along with authoritative commentary from internationally renowned scholars. What we present today is a "Bible of Images," a spectacular, valuable volume in which selected Scripture passages, reproduced in the volume, dialogue with the biblical depictions created over the centuries by great artists. In this way, a new ideal " Biblical Codex" is created, in which the intention of bringing text and images together remains unchanged.

The valuable volume The Bible in Culture and Art , in large format, is accompanied by another volume in a handy format which contains the complete text of the Holy Scriptures (Old and New Testaments).

The work The Bible in Culture and Art is also harmonious . The two volumes just described are both placed on an original and elegant plexiglass lectern , offering the possibility of alternating between two different and complementary readings : that of the text of Sacred Scripture , which, in its most accessible form, can always be with us, while that of the "Codex" of the precious book invites contemplation capable of engaging with the symbolic language of shapes and colors.

In producing its volumes, UTET Grandi Opere often relies on partnerships with some of the most prestigious Italian and international cultural institutions . In particular, the prestigious volume The Bible in Culture and Art was produced in collaboration with the authoritative Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation. The volume includes a preface by Monsignor Giuseppe Scotti , President of the Joseph Ratzinger Vatican Foundation. Furthermore, the first copy of the work will be placed in the collection established by His Holiness Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in the Joseph Ratzinger Library.

The large-format 488- page volume, measuring 32.5 x 45 cm, contains a wealth of biblical artworks and three essays by two internationally renowned scholars: art historian Monsignor Timothy Verdon , professor of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis Monsignor Waldemar Chrostowski , and Professor Baruch A. Levine , a biblical scholar and professor emeritus of Judaic studies at New York University. Eminent representatives of the Catholic and Jewish worlds are thus ideally compared in a spirit of mutual respect.