The Bible in Slovene, from 1584

The translation of both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible into Slovene was a major undertaking in Protestant literature of the late 16th century. This undertaking was the work of Protestant writer and theologian Jurij Dalmatin (about 1547-1589), and served to establish the pinnacle of Slovene Protestant literature, as well as to mark a unique milestone on the historical path of Slovene cultural development. The translation was printed in 1584 in Wittenberg, Germany, and was then spirited back into Slovenia hidden in barrels and boxes.

The translation of the Bible into the language of any nation is in itself a major cultural and civilisational achievement, and this translation into Slovene was among the first Bible translations in the world. Dalmatin completed the translation in approximately ten years, of course without any previous formal Slovene education, without any grammar book and without dictionaries. For this very reason the translation is worthy of great admiration, providing at the same time a supreme example of the great importance of the national language and books printed in this language for what was then the most widespread use, that is, for the church.

In the British Library are copies of the fine Dalmatin Bible
This page provides an overview of the Slovene Collections.