Manuscript leaf from a Parisian ”Pocket Bible”, c.1250.
“I have received letters so long and eagerly desired from my dear Desiderius…”
Verso: Latin text written in black ink on fine vellum in an extremely precise gothic minuscule script in two columns of 47 lines. Ruled in red and versal initials touched in red. Heading ‘GE’ (half of the abbreviated running title of GENESIS) in blue and red. One five line initial ‘D’ in salmon, blue and black with white penwork and with four gold bezants at the corners.
The initial ‘D’ is formed from an “ouroboros” - a circular symbol that depicts a snake or dragon devouring its own tail, representing the eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth. A bar border of Illuminations extends from the initial to the top of the page.
Recto: As Verso with the heading ‘LOGOS’ (half the running title of PROLOGUS) and chapter number VIII in blue and red. One four-line coloured initial ‘H’ with decorative penwork extending from the initial the length of the page. Scholar’s notes in a contemporary hand in the inner margin.
Origin: Northern France, doubtless Paris.
Date: Mid-13th century, c. 1250.
Content: The text on Verso beginning at the illuminated initial reads:
Desiderii mei desideratas accepi epistulas, qui quodam praesagio futurorum cum Danihele sortitus est nomen, obsecrantis ut translatum in latinam linguam de hebraeo sermone Pentateuchum nostrorum auribus traderem. Periculosum opus certe, obtrectatorum latratibus patens, qui me adserunt in Septuaginta interpretum suggillationem nova pro veteribus cudere, ita ingenium quasi vinum probantes, cum ego saepissime testatus.
(I have received letters so long and eagerly desired from my dear Desiderius who, in a foretelling of things to happen has obtained with Daniel a certain name beseeching that I might hand over to our hearers a translation of the Pentateuch in the Latin tongue from the Hebrew words. Certainly a dangerous work, open to the barkings of detractors, who accuse me of insult to the Seventy to prepare a new interpretation from the old ones, thus approving ability (or "genius") like wine.)
(See Appendix for Recto’s text and translation).
Condition: This 770 year old leaf is very good/excellent condition. The script shows no ink loss and the illuminations retain vibrant colours. There is slight darkening of the vellum and a dozen of so small worm holes. The bottom and outer margins have been slightly trimmed, perhaps for a later re-binding, but unusually and pleasingly, the top margin with the running title is only slightly, if at all, trimmed. Archivally mounted. Unconditionally guaranteed genuine.
Size: approx: 165x125 mm. Please note that shipping is invoiced seperately.
Notes: St. Jerome’s many biblical, ascetical, monastic, and theological works profoundly influenced the early Middle Ages.
The production of Jerome’s Latin Vulgate Bible (405 A.D.) changed the Roman Empire, helped unify medieval Europe, and imbued a biblical knowledge and Christian world view by making the Bible accessible in what was the common (Vulgate) Latin language for the late classical era.
The production of small format bibles flourished in Paris in the 13th century. They were known as “pocket Bibles” because they could be carried in the folds of the habits of itinerant friars. Written on extremely thin parchment in an extraordinarily tiny script, the codices were highly portable. In order to reduce the thickness of the parchment, these bibles used calf skin produced north of the Alps which was able to be processed on both sides, whilst retaining its white colouring and quality. It was impossible to detect the hair side from the flesh side on this vellum, making it an ideal parchment for the exceptionally fine writing required on these codices.
The parent book of this leaf was a high quality bible of the Crusades period, used for preaching the Gospel around the medieval countryside or in the study of theology. It may have been first owned by a Dominican priest from an academic milieu, as wealthy Flemish Dominicans studied at the Parisian college of Saint-Jacques.
During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries a number of factors influenced the development of writing styles. Gothic minuscule script, as on this leaf, came about from the need to quickly produce books for the rapidly increasing level of literacy of the early 13th century. New universities were founded, each producing books for business, law, grammar, history and other pursuits, not exclusively religious works for which earlier scripts typically had been used. Its predecessor, Carolingian minuscule, while supremely legible, was time-consuming to write and used a lot of manuscript space.
Parchment and fine vellum were very costly, so scribes compressed the letters to make the most of the space available. The resultant compacted, angular script, given the name gothic minuscule, was popular with the scribes who had taken over much of the copying task from the churches.
Item No: MBI055
