A woodblock-printed Chinese copy of the Diamond Sutra, discovered in the Mogao Caves near Dunhuang and now held by the British Library, carries a date equivalent to May 11, 868 CE, making it the oldest surviving dated printed book. It predates Gutenberg's Bible by nearly 600 years.
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A woodblock-printed Chinese copy of the Diamond Sutra, discovered in the Mogao Caves near Dunhuang and now held by the British Library, carries a date equivalent to May 11, 868 CE, making it the oldest surviving dated printed book. It predates Gutenberg's Bible by nearly 600 years.
The earliest printed date carried by a surviving complete printed book.
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Permanent ID limitsregistry.com/limits/LR-OLDEST-DATED-PRINTED-BOOK
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Limits Registry. LR-OLDEST-DATED-PRINTED-BOOK. Oldest dated printed book. 2026.