The Bible of the Bear celebrates its 450 Anniversary since that 28th of
September 1569 when it was printed for the first time in Basel
(Switzerland). The first complete Bible translated to Spanish directly from
the original, Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek Texts by Casiodoro de Reina, who had
to emigrate from the Monastery of Saint Isidoro del Campo, Santiponce
(Seville), next to Italica, persecuted by the Inquisition for wanting to
provide the world with the Bible in Spanish because it is the Word of God
that shall stand forever, as we can read in its interior, based on Isaiah
40:8. Although he was persecuted, he could conclude his great work that
today reaches more than 500 million of Spanish speaking readers in its
version revised by his disciple and colleague from the Monastery, Cipriano
de Valera, known as The Bible, Reina-Valera 1960 Version; the most
appreciated and read in history by Spanish speaking believers.
In times of humanism and of El Quijote of Cervantes, this Bible of the Bear
was so prodigiously translated that its Text has been qualified as the most
inspired by the erudite and the one with the greater literature by the
linguists. Its quality is such that no matter how many versions or
translations see the light, including the later Catholic versions, nor other
protestant, reaches so much acceptance in Spanish speaking Christianity.
Menéndez Pelayo qualifies it of a great gift to Spanish language.
Casiodoro de Reina and Cipriano de Valera were monks of the order of the
Hieronymite Order who began to read the New Testament of Juan Pérez de
Pineda, which they received thanks to the undercover work of Julianillo
Hermández, who would bring the books in wine barrels. Having had to fly to
Geneva duo to the persecution of the Inquisition, there he met Pérez de
Pineda, who had published that New Testament in Spanish based in the Text of
Francisco de Encinas (Antwerp). Casiodoro couldn’t stay there either due to
the persecution of the Calvinists. Once in London he could dedicate his life
to the work of the translation of the entire Bible. From there he would also
have to travel to different cities due to persecution ending in Frankfort,
where he finished it in 1567. It was printed in Basel by Tomás Guarín. 2600
copies where made from which 32 originals seam to remain in the world.
Facsimile commemorative editions are affordable and also a privilege. The
cover has the bear eating from the honeycomb, which was the logo of another
printer, Apiario, and the Text of Isaiah 40:8: “But the Word of God shall
stand forever”.
The original Texts used by Casiodoro according to the original sources were:
for the Hebrew the Text of the Hebrew Bible of a Spanish Jew converted to
Christianity Jacob Ben Hayim ben Isaac ibn Adonijah, according to the Jewish
Encyclopaedia is the most reliable Masoretic rabbinic Text. For the New
Testament the Greek Textus Receptus available was the one of Erasmus. We
must mention that the Polyglot Complutense Bible of Cardinal Cisneros was
printed by then with Hebrew and Greek Texts, but with a Latin column, not
Castilian or Spanish, so the work of Casiodoro was pioneer in the history of
the vernacular languages of the Bible, in this case in Castilian. For
comparison of the Old Testament he had access to the Bible of Ferrara,
translated by Hebraists from the original Hebrew to Ladino. And for the New
Testament he had by then the translation of Encinas.
Constantino Bada, Catholic priest and teacher of Sacred Scripture in the
Seminary of Oviedo, has done a doctoral thesis about the Bible of the Bear
and he defends it as the best translation, calling his author as “a man
before his time”. Also the academic of Spanish Language Antonio Muñoz Molina
said about it that it is “a forgotten jewel” of the Golden Century. You can
read an interview to Bada in Protestante Digital (in Spanish). For more
historical references you can read the works of Gordon Kinder, a specialist
on the Spanish reformers. Not less relevant has been the proof that after
the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Qumran, the authenticity and
correlation of the translated Texts found there, which to our Christian eyes
is an evidence of the hand of God and of the inspiration and direction of
the Holy Spirit.
To close, I would like to inform that in September of this year 2019, due to
the 450th Anniversary
of the Bible of the Bear, we will celebrate an event and concert with
readings of the original of the Bible of the Bear in the Monastery of Saint
Isidoro del Campo, Santiponce (Seville), emblematic place from which all
this journey of the first Castilian Bible started, the more emblematic and
loved by Spanish speaking Christianity. At the same time we already have the
commemorative stamp from the Spanish Post, and further readings of the Bible
of the Bear will follow through the year. Read the Bible – Jesus Christ
returns!