1486 Incunable Bible Leaf – 1 Samuel (1 Kings), Saul Proclaimed King

An original leaf from a Latin Bible printed in 1486 by Johann Amerbach in Basel, one of the great printers of the 15th century. As an incunable, printed in the first decades after Gutenberg, it is over 535 years old and comes from the very dawn of printing in the late medieval period.

The leaf is headed "Regum I" (First Kings, the Latin Vulgate name for what modern Bibles call 1 Samuel) and printed in bold gothic type in two columns. It covers 1 Samuel 10–12, one of the most dramatic turning points in the Old Testament: Samuel anoints Saul as Israel's first king, Saul prophesies among the prophets, and he is chosen by lot before the people, who cry "Vivat rex!" (Long live the king!). Saul then rescues Jabesh-Gilead from Nahash the Ammonite, and Samuel gives his farewell address as the Lord sends thunder and rain. Large hand-painted red initials open Chapters 11 and 12, and red rubrication is added by hand to capitals throughout, making each leaf unique.

Faint early handwritten notes appear in the outer margin, a trace of the leaf's centuries-old readers.

The paper shows age-appropriate toning, light soiling, and edge wear, including a deckled outer edge. The printed text remains crisp, dark, and highly legible. This is a genuine piece of early printing history, ideal for collectors of Bibles, incunabula, or religious antiques, and it would be beautiful framed for display.