Britannica AI Icon

Jikji

Buddhist literature
Also known as: “The Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests’ Zen Teachings”(Show More)

Quick Summary

The Jikji is a Korean Buddhist document, officially titled The Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests' Zen Teachings. It holds the distinction of being the world's oldest extant book printed with movable metal type. This significant achievement predates the Gutenberg Bible by 78 years.1

The development of movable type printing in Korea was a notable advancement. While movable type was first conceived in China around 1041–1048 by Pi Sheng using clay, and later wooden blocks were used, Korea saw extensive development in this technology. By the first half of the 13th century, typography was present in Korea, and King Taejong ordered the casting of 100,000 pieces of type in bronze in 1403. This innovation was crucial for the printing of works like the Jikji.21

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.