Books Before and After The Gutenberg Bible. For approximately 4,500 years before Gutenberg invented the printing press, books were produced by hand. They were written on surfaces of clay, papyrus, wax, and parchment.

Copying Manuscripts by hand

Hand-copying was the only way to reproduce texts before the invention of printing press. Scribes were employed to handwrite texts in monasteries, libraries, and universities. In this process, a person copies the text onto a new sheet of paper or parchment by hand.

Reasons for copying manuscripts by hand

1. The printing press wasn't invented yet.

2. The cost of printing was high.

3. Printing was not widespread.

4. The need for confidentiality.

Process of copying manuscripts by hand

1. A scribe would start by selecting a clean piece of parchment or paper.

2. He would then use a quill pen or reed pen to write out the text.

3. The scribe would write on one side of the paper or parchment only, to prevent ink from smudging.

4. As the scribe wrote, he would periodically dip his pen into ink to keep it moist.

5. Once the text was complete, the scribe would proofread his work to check for errors.

6. After proofreading, the scribe would add any illustrations or decorations to the text.

7. Finally, the manuscript would be bound and stored in a library or archive.

Advantages of copying manuscripts by hand

1. High-quality manuscripts with no printing errors

2. The possibility of including illustrations and decorative elements

3. The ability to customize manuscripts for specific audiences

4. Preservation of historical and cultural artifacts

Disadvantages of copying manuscripts by hand

1. Time-consuming process

2. Costly process

3. Errors and inconsistencies in copies are possible

Conclusion

Copying manuscripts by hand was a laborious and time-consuming process, but it was the only way to produce multiple copies of a text before the invention of the printing press. Scribes put in many hours of work to create beautiful and accurate manuscripts that have stood the test of time.