Page from 800-year-old bible on display at Glastonbury Abbey
The document made by monks, narrates the history of Israel and Judah and is on public display at its former home for the first time.
A page from a bible crafted 800 years ago by the monks of Glastonbury Abbey, narrating the history of Israel and Judah, is on public display at its former home for the first time.
The double-sided sheet is made from vellum, a specially prepared animal skin, usually that of a calf – that was used for books until the rise of paper production in the later Middle Ages.
Taken from the beginning of the Book of Chronicles in the Old Testament, the first word of the book, “Adam”, is marked by an ornately illustrated “A” filled with a spiralling serpent entwined with foliage.
The Latin text is thought to have been written around the 13th century, probably at some point between 1225 and 1250.
Glastonbury Abbey was famous for its library, but many of its works were lost when Henry VIII ordered its dissolution in 1539 following his split from the Catholic Church.
Its abbot, Richard Whiting, and two senior monks were hanged, drawn and quartered on Glastonbury Tor on allegations of treason for staying loyal to Rome.
The Glastonbury Bible disappeared, and only resurfaced in the 18th century when it was found listed in the collection of politician and scholar Roger Gale, a spokesman for Glastonbury Abbey said.
The library at his Yorkshire estate contained three of 35 books thought to have survived the dissolution of the abbey.
The bible’s whereabouts was then unknown for a further 240 years, when it turned up at Sotheby’s Auction House in London in the 1980s where it was bought by a manuscript dealer from Ohio.
The dealer dismantled the book and sold it page by page, with this particular page being bought by the University of Bristol two years ago at auction.
Other pages have been found all over the world, although the Oslo Cathedral School in Norway has acquired the bulk of the work and had it rebound.
The abbey’s collections manager Lucy Newman said: “This is so exciting for us. It’s like a tiny jewel because it’s so small yet so important in the history of the abbey.
“It’s such a beautiful object; to think that so much work and detail could have gone into such a small page, and the age of it is just incredible.”
Ms Newman continued: “The quality of it is utterly amazing, considering its age, and it’s the workmanship that would have gone into writing it that’s astonishing, when you consider the writing materials they would have had to use 800 years ago.”
– The bible page will be on display at Glastonbury Abbey until October 2.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
