Bible
St John's College MS 207
St John's College, University of Oxford
Description
From Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries
This is an extract only. For more information, see the catalogue record in Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries.
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Title
Bible
Shelfmark
St John's College MS 207
Place of origin
France
Date
s. xiii med.
Language
Latin
Contents
Form
codex
Support
Vellum (FSOS/FHHF).
Physical extent
Fols. i + 646+ i (numbered fol. ii).
Hands
Written in gothic textura semiquadrata . Punctuation by point.
Decoration
At the heads of books, champes in gold leaf, blue, and violet, with vine or floral and animal motifs and painted marginal extenders, often the full column.
At the heads of chapters, 2-line blue lombards on extended flourishing and bar-borders in red and blue; chapter numbers in alternate red and blue.
Verses marked by red-slashed capitals.
Headings in red, a substantial number unfilled and some not filled as planned (cf. fol. 288 ).
Running titles identifying book in alternate red and blue lombards.
No running titles in Psalms, and nocturns marked with champes.
There are several historiated initials:
Fol. 1ra, 7-line: Jerome writing the book and, at the centre of the foot of the page, a similar-sized painting of the crucifixion with Mary and John; both use a very silvery tint for skin and gold leaf haloes.
Fol. 4v, the head of Genesis, full-column I: the seven days of creation.
Fol. 76va, Deuteronomy, 3-line: the horned Moses addressing two of the Hebrews.
Fol. 214vb, Nehemiah, 6-line: a crowned throned king addressing another man who is staring into a cup.
Fol. 247ra, Job, 7-line: Job and a comforter.
Fol. 288rb, Proverbs, 7-line: king beating his son with a mallet.
Fol. 304rb, Wisdom, 6-line: Wisdom enthroned addressing a knight.
See AT, no. 691 (68), dating s. xiii3/4, and plate xli (fol. 4v).
Binding
A modern replacement. Sewn on six thongs. At the front, one vellum flyleaf; at the rear, one vellum flyleaf (ii); the second certainly, and the first probably, pastedowns from an earlier binding.
Acquisition
‘Liber Collegij Sancti Joannis Baptistae Oxon Ex dono Guilelmi LaudTheologiae Doctoris et hujus Collegij Socij 1610’ ( fol. i, top); the signature ‘William Laud’ (fol. iv). Exhibited Laud Exhib, no. 1 (1).
Provenance
A list of biblical books (s. xv, textura prescissa), not complete, filled in and with the number of chapters in each added ( fol. iv, mixed anglicana/secretary s. xv).
A list of Sundays in the year, with the gospel pericopes not filled in ( fol. ii, s. xv).
The old shelfmark ‘Abac: ij. No. 21’ (front pastedown).
View full record in Medieval manuscripts in Oxford libraries
