A Bit about the Breslauer Bible

The centerpiece of our project is, of course, the Breslauer Bible. This post takes a look at how the University of South Carolina acquired the valuable manuscript.

The Breslauer Bible was acquired by USC, under the supervision of Dr. Gwara, at Christie's in London on June 2, 2010, for $77,000. Here is a link to the original auction: http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/books-manuscripts/bible-with-the-interpretation-of-hebrew-names-5320065-details.aspx?from=salesummary&intObjectID=5320065&sid=c02ce075-dc89-4950-a5fc-0ef482b807a8 

Check out the video below to hear Dr. Gwara discuss the importance of the Breslauer Bible acquisition!

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Dr. Gwara discusses the acquisition of the Breslauer Bible 

The hefty price tag was mitigated by aid from the B.H. Breslauer Foundation, hence the manuscript's name. In life, Dr. Bernard H. Breslauer was one of the most eminent antiquarian book collectors in the world, with an enormous collection of early European manuscripts. Before his death in 2004, he allowed for the creation of numerous endowments to aid universities like USC in acquiring rare books for their own collections. The foundation has also helped our university purchase two other manuscripts besides the Breslauer Bible.

Dr. B.H. Breslauer, whose endowment enabled USC to purchase the Breslauer Bible 

Early MS 85, A Cistercian Sermon Manual also purchased with the help of B.H. Breslauer Foundation 

Thanks to the generosity of the B.H. Breslauer Foundation, USC students can now enjoy the pristine beauty of one of the world's finest surviving English pocket-bibles, and USC's Irvin Department of Rare Books has been established as a serious collector of medieval manuscripts. 

- Aaron