Add MS 28106

The first of two volumes of the Bible, the second being Add MS 28107.

Contents:

ff. 2v-228r: The Vulgate version of the Bible from Genesis to Malachi, with St. Jerome's Epistle to Paulinus and prefaces, tables of chapters, and Gospel canons, followed by a dated scribal colophon (f. 228v).

On the flyleaves and fragments used in the former binding are various texts including:

f. 1r-v: Augustine: 'Enaratio in Psalmos' (a 10th-century fragment);

f. 2r: Two letters on fasting, of which the second is from the 'Epistola Sigeberti Gemblacensis de quatuor temporibus' (Migne, Patrologia Latina, cursus completus, 60, col. 813);

f. 228r: Scribal colophon stating that the work was copied by Goderannus and Ernesto, monks of Stavelot, and illuminated and bound within four years ending 1097;

f. 228v: Catalogue of the library of the abbey of Stabloo or Stavelot, dated 1105;

f. 229r: Augustine, Homily 'de resurrectione domini' (c.1100);

f. 229v: List of Emperors to Frederic I and Charles IV (1453); and Popes to Celestine II (12th to 15th century);

f. 230r: Psalms (a 12th-century fragment);

f. 231r-232v: Gregory, Homilia, 'De cura pastorali' (an 11th-century fragment).

Decoration:

One full-column-length historiated initial in colours and gold at the beginning of Genesis (f. 6r). 26 historiated initials in colours with gold (ff. 2v, 4v, 23v, 38r, 47v, 62v, 75r, 75v, 84r, 92v, 96r, 97r, 109r, 161r, 163v, 215v, 218r, 219r, 221r (x2), 222r, 223v, 224r, 224v, 225v, 226r) or decorated initials (ff. 185v, 188r, 207r, 215v) at the beginning of prefaces and books. Five initials have been cut out (ff. 119r, 131r, 142v, 144r, 188r, 208r) and one folio containing an initial is wanting at the beginning of Malachi. Initials and numbering in red throughout.

The subjects of the initials are:

f. 2v: 'F'(rater) at the beginning of Jerome's Epistle to Damasus, showing Jerome handing a blank scroll to another figure with a halo, probably Paulinus of Nola;

f. 4v: 'D'(esiderii) at the beginning of Jerome's preface, showing Jerome seated, dipping his quill pen into an ink pot;

f. 6r: 'I'[n principio] at the beginning of the Book of Genesis, with roundels containing Christ the Judge between the Blessed and the Damned, beneath him are scenes from His life, including the Annunciation, Nativity, Baptism, Crucifixion and Entombment; on the left are roundels with scnes from the Old Testament and on the right scenes from the parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard;

f. 23v: 'H'(aec) at the beginning of the Book of Exodus, with scenes from the childhood of Moses, of Pharoah instructing the midwives to kill all Hebrew children (above) and the rescue of Moses in his basket from the river (below);

f. 38r: 'V'(ocavit) at the beginning of the Book of Leviticus, with the Lord appearing to Moses (above) and priests preparing the sacrifice of the bullock (below);

f. 47v: 'L'(ocutus) at the beginning of the Book of Numbers, with the Lord instructing Moses, who is shown from the back with a book in his hand;

f. 62v: 'H'(ec) at the beginning of the Book of Deuteronomy, with Moses addressing the Lord, while the people of Israel look on (above), Moses speaking to Joshua (below left) and the death of Moses on Mount Nebo (below right);

f. 75r: 'T'(andem) at the beginning of the preface to the book of Joshua, of a figure, probably Joshua, seated at a lectern holding a scroll unfurled;

f. 75v: 'ET' at the beginning of the Book of Joshua, of the hand of God coming down and Joshua, shown from the back, looking up at it (above) and Joshua addressing three followers (below);

f. 84r: 'P'(ost) at the beginning of the Book of Judges, showing Jael killing Sisera by hammering a tent peg into his temple;

f. 92v: 'I'(incipit) at the beginning of the Book of Ruth, showing Ruth holding the infant Obed;

f. 96r: 'V'(iginti) at the beginning of Jerome's preface to the Book of Kings, of Jerome the translator, viewed from the back, seated on a couch, looking into an open manuscript on the left, and about to write in an open manuscript on the right;

f. 97r: 'F'(uit) at the beginning of Samuel, Book I, showing Samuel's birth and dedication to the Lord; firstly in the lower section Elkanah and his two wives, Hannah and Peninnah offer a sacrifice to Shiloh (below) and Elkanah seated at a table with the two women, consoles Hannah (above); in the upper section, Hannah makes a vow before the priest Eli before the temple (below) and the infant Samuel is brought to Eli at an altar, with offerings of bulls (above);

f. 109r: 'F'(actum) at the beginning of Samuel, Book II, showing the Amalekite bearing the crown of the dead Saul into the camp of David (below), then presenting Saul's insignia to David (middle) and the executioner holding up the severed head of the slain Amakelite over his body (above);

f. 161r: 'H'(ieremias) at the beginning of Jerome's preface to the Book of Jeremiah, showing Jerome writing, with behind him a rectangular 'scrinium' or container holding three scrolls (above); the Lord touching Jeremiah's mouth (below);

f. 163v: 'V'(erba) at the beginning of the Book of Jeremiah, showing Jeremiah seated with his head in his hands (upper left), while Jerusalem is destroyed (upper right); below, Nebuchadnezzar's men bind King Zedekiah (Jeremiah 38);

f. 215v: 'V'(erba) at the beginning of the Book of Hosea, showing Hosea sitting with his arm around his wife, Gomer, who is holding her stomach to show she is pregnant, and three children in front of them, one of whom is naked;

f. 218r: 'V'(erba) at the beginning of the Book of Joel, showing the prophet pointing to an open book;

f. 219r: 'V'(erba) at the beginning of the Book of Amos, showing the prophet pointing to an open book;

f. 221r: left: 'V'(isio) at the beginnig of the Book of Obediah, showing the prophet holding a scroll unfurled;

f. 221r: right: 'E'(t) at the beginning of the Book of Jonah, in which the prophet is taught a lesson by God as he laments the death of the shady tree, its roots eaten by a worm;

f. 222r: 'V'(erbum) at the beginning of the Book of Micah, showing the crowned prophet holding a scroll;

f. 223v: 'O'(nus) at the beginning of the Book of Nahum, showing the prophet with a scroll;

f. 224r: 'O'(nus) at the beginning of the Book of Habbakuk, showing the prophet with a scroll;

f. 224v: 'V'(erbum) at the beginning of the Book of Zephaniah, showing the prophet seated with a scroll;

f. 225v: 'I'(n) at the beginning of the Book of Haggai, showing the prophet standing, looking down at a scroll;

f. 226r: 'I'(n) at the beginning of the Book of Zachariah, showing the prophet standing with a scroll, looking upwards;

Usener, in L’art Mosan (1953), distinguished four hands, while Dynes in Stavelot Bible (1978), pp. 89-93, proposed five artists for the two volumes, of which three worked on the present volume: the Master of the Minor Prophets (18 initials: ff. 2v, 4v, 75r, 185v-226r). the Pentateuch Master (11 initials: ff. 6r-109r) and the Jeremiah Master (2 initials in Jeremiah: ff. 161r, 163v).

Cahn, in Romanesque Bible Illumination (1982), pp. 130-31, suggested one artist for the Genesis initial and for most of the historical books and another, probably Goderannus, for most of the Prophets in the present volume, as well as Ezra through Esther, and a large part of the New Testament initials in the second volume, Add MS 28107.