The Jewish legacy of Johannes Gutenberg
How movable type transformed the secular and spiritual worlds
Two decades ago, when Biography.com presented its list of the 100 most influential people of the last millennium, their choice for the Number 1 position was indisputable. By introducing the Western world to movable type, Johannes Gutenberg inaugurated the rapid expansion of knowledge that produced the Renaissance and eventually made literacy the rule rather than the exception.
It’s a sad footnote to history that Gutenberg possessed far more mechanical savvy than business acumen. He died penniless, failing to capitalize upon his own innovation.
A happier footnote is the contribution Gutenberg’s innovation made to Jewish culture and scholarship.
Movable type first appeared as early as 1041, when Chinese printers fashioned interchangeable clay pieces to replace the clumsy chiseled plates that preceded them. It was not Gutenberg’s invention, therefore, but rather his introduction of centuries-old technology in Europe, where the Chinese system had either gone unnoticed or been ignored. Gutenberg completed his printing press, equipped…
