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Biblia sacra manuscripta
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Biblia sacra manuscripta Ms. Codex 236
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Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
Manuscript Overview
References
Binding Images

Abstract

Vulgate Bible with prologues by Jerome and illuminations. The biblical text is prefaced by the Interpretationes nominum hebraicorum (f. 2r-27r), attributed to Jerome in the Middle Ages, and the apocryphal Prayer of Manasseh (f. 27v), attributed to Solomon in its rubric. The Prayer of Manasseh more commonly appeared at the end of 2 Chronicles, where in this Bible a rubric (f. 163r) directs the reader to the prayer's location. The biblical text is followed by a calendar of the Church year (f. 400v-401v), a missal (f. 402v-420v), including the ordinary from the canon through the communion and propers for Sundays and feasts throughout the year, and a breviary (f. 421r-458v), with nine lessons for major feasts, so not for a monastic context. The manuscript also includes a table of Epistle and Gospel incipits (f. 460r-462v), which is a later addition.

Physical Description

Support: parchment; Extent: 465 leaves : 218 x 148 (149 x 93) mm. bound to 230 x 168 mm; Collation: Parchment, v (paper) + 462 + vi (paper); a¹³, b¹⁴, c-i¹², k¹²(-2), l-o¹², p¹⁶, q¹²(-1), r-s¹², t-u¹⁴, x¹⁰, y¹⁴(-1), z¹², A-I¹², K-L¹⁰, M-P¹², Q³. There are traces of numbers at the end of some quires, but most of these were lost when the margins were trimmed; modern pencil foliation, lower right recto.

Layout

Written in 2 columns of approximately 50 lines, including, unusually, the Interpretationes nominum hebraicorum; ruled in lead; small number of marginal glosses; later table of incipits written in 3 columns.

Script

Written in French Gothic textualis script, probably by more than one hand, though it appears to be the work of a single scriptorium; quire Q is a later addition, written in a hybrid script.

Decoration

Many 6-line historiated initials, some also zoomorphic, particularly at the beginning of books; first leaf of the book of Job has been cut out (between f. 185-186); major historiated zoomorphic initial forming left border at the beginning of Jerome's prologue to Genesis depicting a monk in his scriptorium, and another major zoomorphic initial forming left border at the beginning of Genesis with miniatures of Adam and Eve, Noah's ark, and Abraham and Isaac (f. 30v); the initial I marking the beginning of Esdras may depict Ahasuerus and Esther in error (f. 163v; Esther does not begin with a historiated initial, f. 178r); extensive use of gold in the miniatures, with some flaking; extensive use of red for rubrication and red and blue for headings, chapter numbers, etc; frequent use of green suggests an English influence; some filigree decoration; a few leaves seem to have sections cut out.

For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.

Notes

Ms. codex.

Title from spine.

An 8-page typewritten description and analysis of the manuscript is on file in the Library.

These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.

Spine

Keywords
13th century
Illumination
Liturgy
Bible
Christian
France
French
Devotion
University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Place of Origin

France?

Date

Written in northern France, probably Paris, 1220s? (Laura Light).

Binding

18th-century French brown morocco, wearing slightly at the hinges; metal clasps; gold leaf on spine; marbled endpapers.

Language

Latin

Provenance

James Augustus St. John and S. Vandenyer (cf. letter tipped in, from former to latter, dated 1837[?], acknowledging receipt of the manuscript; T. Edward Ross (bookplate, inside front cover).

Gift of T. Edward Ross, 1947.

return to search Biblia sacra manuscripta Ms. Codex 236

Place of Origin

France?

Date

Written in northern France, probably Paris, 1220s? (Laura Light).

Language

Latin

Provenance

James Augustus St. John and S. Vandenyer (cf. letter tipped in, from former to latter, dated 1837[?], acknowledging receipt of the manuscript; T. Edward Ross

Gift of T. Edward Ross, 1947.

Manuscript Overview

Abstract

Vulgate Bible with prologues by Jerome and illuminations. The biblical text is prefaced by the Interpretationes nominum hebraicorum (f. 2r-27r), attributed to Jerome in the Middle Ages, and the apocryphal Prayer of Manasseh (f. 27v), attributed to Solomon in its rubric. The Prayer of Manasseh more commonly appeared at the end of 2 Chronicles, where in this Bible a rubric (f. 163r) directs the reader to the prayer's location. The biblical text is followed by a calendar of the Church year (f. 400v-401v), a missal (f. 402v-420v), including the ordinary from the canon through the communion and propers for Sundays and feasts throughout the year, and a breviary (f. 421r-458v), with nine lessons for major feasts, so not for a monastic context. The manuscript also includes a table of Epistle and Gospel incipits (f. 460r-462v), which is a later addition.

Notes

Ms. codex.

Title from spine.

An 8-page typewritten description and analysis of the manuscript is on file in the Library.

Script note

Written in French Gothic textualis script, probably by more than one hand, though it appears to be the work of a single scriptorium; quire Q is a later addition, written in a hybrid script.

Decoration Note

Many 6-line historiated initials, some also zoomorphic, particularly at the beginning of books; first leaf of the book of Job has been cut out (between f. 185-186); major historiated zoomorphic initial forming left border at the beginning of Jerome's prologue to Genesis depicting a monk in his scriptorium, and another major zoomorphic initial forming left border at the beginning of Genesis with miniatures of Adam and Eve, Noah's ark, and Abraham and Isaac (f. 30v); the initial I marking the beginning of Esdras may depict Ahasuerus and Esther in error (f. 163v; Esther does not begin with a historiated initial, f. 178r); extensive use of gold in the miniatures, with some flaking; extensive use of red for rubrication and red and blue for headings, chapter numbers, etc; frequent use of green suggests an English influence; some filigree decoration; a few leaves seem to have sections cut out.

For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.

References
Binding Images

These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.

Spine

Keywords
13th century
Liturgy
Bible
Christian
France
French
Devotion
University of Pennsylvania, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
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