Theodor Dunkelgrün, The Multiplicity of Scripture. The Making of the Antwerp Polyglot Bible. Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 2025, 554 pp., 8 colour images.

The Antwerp Polyglot Bible (1568–1573), also known as the Biblia Regia, was a groundbreaking eight-volume, multi-language printed Bible project. It is a “polyglot” in that it presents the biblical text in several languages side-by-side, bringing together the most important biblical traditions and languages, including the original Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, along with significant early versions such as the Aramaic Targums for the Old Testament and the Syriac Peshitta for the New Testament. It constituted not only a historical achievement in biblical studies and in textual criticism as a discipline, but also a watershed moment in the history of printing. This monumental work was meticulously revised and edited by the Spanish biblical scholar Benito Arias Montano (ca. 1525–1598) and expertly printed in Antwerp by the eminent French printer Christophe Plantin (ca. 1520–1589). Beyond its status as a technical and scientific milestone – a feat made possible only by the accomplished skill and knowledge of Plantin, Montano, and their collaborators – the Biblia Regia is notable for the convergence of distinct religious traditions within a single work. This posed a formidable religious challenge of greater magnitude than mere technical considerations, given that this Bible was printed within a religiously conflicted context, specifically that of the 16th-century Protestant Reformation, during the turbulent years following the Council of Trent (1545–1563) and coinciding with the outbreak of the Dutch Revolt (1568–1648).