AUTHOR: COMMISSIONED BY ABBOT CEOLFRID

LANGUAGE: LATIN

DATE: 688-713

PAGE #: 2,059

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: STUDY SIZE, 2 VOLUMES EACH 8.75 X 11.25 IN

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: LARGE VERSION, 2 VOLUMES EACH 11.25 X 15.5 IN

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: THE CODEX AMIATINUS IS THE EARLIEST SURVIVING MANUSCRIPT OF THE COMPLETE BIBLE IN THE LATIN VULGATE. IT IS CONSIDERED THE MOST ACCURATE COPY OF SAINT JEROME’S ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AND WAS USED IN THE REVISION OF THE VULGATE BY POPE SIXTUS V IN 1585-90. PRESERVED IN THE MEDICEA LAURENZIANA LIBRARY IN FLORENCE, IT IS ONE OF THE WORLDS MOST IMPORTANT MANUSCRIPTS. IN HIS ECCLESIATICAL HISTORY OF ENGLAND, THE ENGLISH HISTORIAN AND SCHOLAR KNOWN AS THE VENERABLE BEDE, 673-735, RECORDS THAT THE BENEDICTINE MONK CEOLFRID, 642-716, ABBOT OF WEARMOUTH AND JARROW AND A TEACHER OF BEDE, COMMISSIONED THREE LARGE BIBLES FROM THE ABBEY’S WEARMOUTH-JARROW SCRIPTORIUM, TWO OF WHICH WERE PLACE IN EACH OF THE TWIN CHURCHES IN WEARMOUTH AND JARROW AND THE THIRD WAS INTENDED AS A GIFT FOR THE POPE. THE BIBLES WERE COPIED FROM THE SIXTH CENTURY CODEX GRANDIOR, NOW LOST. OF THE THREE TEXTS, ONLY THE EXEMPLAR THAT LATER CAME TO BE KNOWN AS THE CODEX AMIATINUS SURVIVES. COMPLETED BY SEVEN SCRIBES, IT WAS PRESENTED TO POPE GREGORY II BY ASSOCIATES OF CEOLFRID, WHO DIED ON HIS WAY TO ROME IN 716.

THE MANUSCRIPT WAS KEPT FOR CENTURIES IN THE ABBEY OF THE HOLY SAVIOR AT MONTE AMIATA IN TUSCANY BEFORE IT CAME TO THE LAURENTIAN LIBRARY IN 1782, FOLLOWING THE SUPPRESSION OF THE RELIGIOUS ORDERS BY PIETRO LERPOLDO I, GRAND DUKE OF TUSCANY (RULED 1765-1790). THE CODEX FEATURES TWO MAJOR ILLUMINATIONS, A PORTRAIT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHET EZRA AND A DEPICTION OF CHRIST IN MAJESTY. EZRA IS SHOWN WRITING A MANUSCRIPT ON HIS LAP, SEATED BEFORE AN OPEN BOOK CUPBOARD CONTAINING A BIBLE IN NINE VOLUMES. THE ILLUMINATION IS AMONG THE OLDEST IMAGES IN THE WESTERN WORLD TO SHOW A BOOKCASE AND THE BINDINGS OF THE BOOKS. THE CODEX ALSO INCLUDES A TWO PAGE PLAN OF THE TABERNACLE IN THE TEMPLE AT JERUSALEM. THE MANUSCRIPT SHOWS MANY BYZANTINE INFLUENCES, PARTICULARLY IN THE ILLUMINATIONS, AND IT WAS LONG THOUGHT TO BE OF ITALO-BYZANTINE, RATHER THAN ENGLISH ORIGIN.

REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

NOTE: ALL OF OUR FACSIMILES ARE MADE TO ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR NOTIFICATION OF SHIPMENT.