Oddur Gottskálksson's New Testament
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Oddur Gottskálksson's New Testament (Icelandic: Nýja testamenti Odds Gottskálkssonar; full title: Þetta er hið nýja Testament Jesu Christi eiginleg orð og Evangelia hver hann sjálfur predikaði og kenndi hér i heimi sem hans postular og Guð spjalla menn síðan skrifuðu) is a translation of the New Testament into Icelandic. It is the oldest preserved book printed in the Icelandic language.[1]
Oddur Gottskálksson likely began translating the New Testament in Skálholt in 1534 or 1535, working in a cowshed to hide his work from the Roman Catholic bishop Ögmundur Pálsson, whom Oddur worked for as a scribe. In spring 1539, Oddur travelled to Denmark and presented King Christian III with a copy of his translation. On 9 November of that year, Christian III approved its printing after having scholars compare it to the Latin text.[1][2] The printing was completed in Roskilde, Denmark, on 12 April 1540 as a 330-page octavo small format. It is not known how many copies were printed, but Oddur intended for every priest in Iceland to receive a copy.[3]
