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Harley MS 4772
- Record Id:
- 040-002050615
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 040-002050615
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100000000859.0x000122
- LARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100064925744.0x000001
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- Harley MS 4772
- Title:
-
The first part of the ‘Montpellier Bible’, containing the Book of Genesis to the Book of Malachi
- Scope & Content:
-
This is the first of two volumes of one of the nine extant copies of the Languedocian recension of the Latin Vulgate (see Berger, Histoire de la Vulgate (1893), pp. 72-88), containing the Book of Genesis to the Book of Malachi. This Bible is known as the ‘Montpellier Bible', after the location of its 17th-century owner, the chancellor of the University of Montpellier. The two volumes were produced in the 1st quarter of the 12th century. They were decorated by two artists: the first artist, who was influenced by an Italian style, decorated the initials of the Old Testament prefaces and the opening initial of the Book of Genesis. The majority of the initials, however, were decorated by the second artist. This artist’s work is marked by a great variety of ornamental motifs, and zoomorphic, hybrid and anthropomorphic figures in bright colours in a style that indicates that the manuscript was produced in the region of Languedoc (see Cahn, Romanesque Bible Illumination (1975), pp. 272-73 (no. 74)). This seems to be confirmed by a number of prologues and original marginal annotations in the first volume that refer to a work entitled the ‘History of Lyon’ (‘historia lugdunensis’). The references to this unidentified work suggest that the scribes who copied this Bible compared their exemplar(s) to an authoritative biblical work from the Archdiocese of Lyon and perhaps were located there as well.
Contents:
ff. 1r-4v: The Letter of St Jerome to Paul.
ff. 3v-4r: St Jerome, Prologue on the Pentateuch.
ff. 4r-4v: A table of contents.
ff. 4v-27v: The Book of Genesis.
f. 27v: A table of contents.
ff. 27v-46r: The Book of Exodus.
ff. 46v-47r: A table of contents.
ff. 47r-60v: The Book of Leviticus.
ff. 60v-61r: A table of contents.
ff. 61r-81r: The Book of Numbers.
ff. 81r-98v: The Book of Deuteronomy.
f. 98v: St Jerome, Prologue to the Book of Joshua.
ff. 98v-99r: A table of contents for the Book of Joshua.
ff. 99r-108v: The Book of Joshua.
f. 108v: A table of contents.
ff. 108v-120v: The Book of Judges.
ff. 120v-122r: The Book of Ruth.
ff. 122-123r: St Jerome, Prologue to the Book of Samuel.
ff. 123r-124r: A table of contents for the Book of 1 Samuel.
ff. 124r-139v: The Book of 1 Samuel.
ff. 139v-140r: A table of contents for the Book of 2 Samuel.
ff. 140r-159r: The Book of 2 Samuel.
ff. 153r-169r: The Book of 1 Kings.
ff. 169r-184r: The Book of 2 Kings.
f. 184v: St Jerome, Prologue to the Book of Isaiah.
f. 184v: A prologue about Isaiah.
ff. 184v-209r: The Book of Isaiah.
ff. 209r-209v: St Jerome, Prologue to the Book of Jeremiah.
ff. 209v-237v: The Book of Jeremiah.
ff. 237v-240r: The Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet.
f. 240r: Prologue to the Book of Baruch (written in in the right margin).
ff. 240r-243v: The Book of Baruch, with a reference to the ‘istoria lugdunensi’ in a marginal annotation.
f. 243v: St Jerome, Prologue to the Book of Ezekiel.
ff. 243v-268v: The Book of Ezekiel.
ff. 268v-269v: St Jerome, Prologue to the Book of Daniel.
ff. 269v-280r: The Book of Daniel.
f. 280r: Prologue to the Twelve Minor Prophets.
ff. 280r-284v: The Book of Hosea.
f. 284v: St Jerome, Prologue to Joel, with a reference to the ‘lugdunensi istoria’ in a marginal annotation.
ff. 283v-285r: The Book of Joel.
f. 285r: Prologue to the Book of Amos.
f. 285r: Argumentum of the Book of Amos.
ff. 285r-288r: The Book of Amos.
f. 288r: Prologue to the Book of Obadiah.
ff. 288r-288v: The Book of Obadiah.
ff. 288v-289r: Prologue to the Book of Jonah.
ff. 289r-290r: The Book of Jonah.
f. 290r: Prologue to the Book of Micah.
ff. 290r-292r: The Book of Micah.
f. 292r: St Jerome, Prologue to the Book of Nahum.
ff. 292r-293r: The Book of Nahum.
f. 293r: Prologue to the Book of Habakkuk.
ff. 293r-294r: The Book of Habakkuk.
ff. 294r-294v: Prologue to the Book of Zephaniah.
ff. 294v-295v: The Book of Zephaniah.
f. 295v: Prologue to the Book of Haggai.
f. 295v: Argumentum for the Book of Haggai.
ff. 295v-296v: The Book of Haggai.
f. 296v: Prologue for the Book of Zechariah.
f. 296v: Argumentum for the Book of Zechariah.
ff. 296v-300v: The Book of Zechariah.
f. 300v: Argumentum for the Book of Malachi.
f. 300v: Prologue to the Book of Malachi.
ff. 300v-301v: The Book of Malachi.
The manuscript contains a number of later additions:
The last lines on f. 152r, f. 153v, 184v, 193r, 194v, 195r, 200v, 205, 216v have been rewritten, apparently in the 14th or 15th century.
Decoration:
2 large historiated initials in gold with zoomorphic and anthropomorphic figures coloured with red (inside the letters), and zoomorphic figures in gold, hybrid figures in green, and foliate decoration in red and green, with text in gold, outside the letters, in gold and red frames with a blue background (ff. 1r, 5r). 26 large historiated and decorated initials in yellow, and anthropomorphic, zoomorphic and hybrid figures and foliate decoration in colours, some with knot-work and foliate interlace, in blue or red frames with a blue background (f. 27v, 47r, 61v, 99r, 108v, 120v, 124r, 140v [with gold], 153v, 169r [a griffon], 185r, 240r [a hybrid figure, possibly a griffon], 244r, 269v, 280r, 283v, 285v, 288r [foliate decoration], 289r, 290r, 292r [foliate decoration], 293v, 294v [a zoomorphic figure and foliate decoration], 296r [zoomorphic heads with foliate decoration], 297r [zoomorphic heads with foliate decoration], 300v). 1 large historiated initial in grey and gold, with foliate interlace in green-blue and red, and zoomorphic figures in colours, in a yellow and cyan frame with a blue background (f. 81r [with gold]). 1 large decorated initial with red interlace decoration against a gold background inside the letter, and zoomorphic figures (birds) in gold outside the letter, in a red frame with a blue background on f. 3v.
The subjects of the miniatures in the historiated initials, largely following the identifications by Walter Cahn (see Romanesque Manuscripts (1996), II, pp. 60-61 (no. 40)), are as follows:
f. 1r: An angel with a cross staff and book.
f. 5r: A six-compartment miniature illustrating the Days of Creation.
f. 27r: Two unidentified figures fighting.
f. 47r: God speaking to Moses.
f. 61v: Moses and the burning bush.
f. 81r: A seated figure holding a staff with two men before him, possibly Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh.
f. 99r: God speaking to Joshua.
f. 108v: God speaking to two kneeling Israelites.
f. 120v: Ruth and Elimech on their journey to Moab.
f. 124r: God speaking to Hannah.
f. 140v: The Murder of Eglon.
f. 153v: Abisag comforting King David.
f. 185r: The prophet Isaiah holding a book.
f. 209v: The prophet Jeremiah holding a staff.
f. 244r: The prophet Ezekiel pointing to the sky.
f. 269v: Daniel in the lion’s den.
f. 280r: The prophet Hosea holding a book.
f. 283v: The prophet Joel holding a book, standing on an animal (possibly a griphon).
f. 285v: The prophet Amos holding a book.
f. 289r: The prophet Jonah emerging from the whale.
f. 290r: The prophet Micah holding a book.
f. 293v: A prophet holding a book and a staff.
f. 300v: The prophet Malachi holding a book.
Small display capitals outlined in a bar of brown ink with red fillers follow many of the historiated and decorated initials. Red display capitals in varying sizes, small red capitals, some with foliate pen-work decoration, rubrics (some oxidized), running titles in red, and red line-fillers (e.g. 184r) and numbers throughout the manuscript. The margins contain manicules (eg. f. 28v) and crucifixes in brown ink throughout the manuscript.
- Collection Area:
- Western Manuscripts
- Project / Collection:
- England and France 700-1200 Project
Harley Collection - Hierarchy Tree:
- [{ "id" : "040-002050615", "parent" : "#", "text" : "Harley MS 4772: The first part of the ‘Montpellier Bible’, containing the Book of Genesis to the Book of Malachi" , "li_attr" : {"class": "orderable"} }]
- Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 032-002045828
040-002050615 - Is part of:
- Harley MS 1-7661 : Harley Manuscripts
Harley MS 4772 : The first part of the ‘Montpellier Bible’, containing the Book of Genesis to the Book of Malachi - Hierarchy:
- 032-002045828[4771]/040-002050615
- Container:
- View / search within Archive / Collection: Harley MS 1-7661
- Record Type (Level):
- File
- Extent:
- 1 volume
- Digitised Content:
- https://iiif.bl.uk/uv/#?manifest=https://bl.digirati.io/iiif/ark:/81055/vdc_100064925744.0x000001
- Thumbnail:
-
- Languages:
- Latin
- Scripts:
- Latin
- Start Date:
- 1100
- End Date:
- 1124
- Date Range:
- 1st quarter of the 12th century
- Era:
- CE
- Access:
-
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- User Conditions:
- Physical Characteristics:
-
Materials: Parchment.
Dimensions: 510 x 370 mm (text space: 250 x 400 mm, in 2 columns).
Foliation: ff. 1* + 301 ( + 2 unfoliated paper flyleaves at the beginning + 3 at the end); f. 1* is an early modern paper flyleaf; the lower margins of ff. 153, 154, 174, 178, 184, 193, 194, 195, 200, 205, 212, 216 have been replaced with new strips of parchment; medieval foliation in roman numbers is present in the right margin on rectos; marbled endleaves.
Binding: British Museum/British Library in-house; gold-tooled black half leather binding with Harley’s bookplate gold-stamped on the upper and lower covers, the spine inscribed in gold at the British Museum: ‘BIBLIA LATINA VOL. I.’.
- Custodial History:
-
Origin: ?Lyons, Southeastern France.
Provenance:
François Ranchin (b.1564, d.1641), chancellor of the University of Montpellier, owned in 1621: his name inscribed in the lower margin of f. 1r ('Francisci Ranchini cancellarij universitatis medic. monsp.’); given to the Capucins at Montpellier in 1621.
The Capuchin monastery, Montpellier in 1621: inscribed 'ad usum fratrum capucinorum conventus Monspetiensis catologo inscriptus sub littera B' with the date ‘Die 1 mensis Januarij anno 1621’ (f. 1r), see also f. 1r*; no. 3 in the monastic library.
The Harley Collection, formed by Robert Harley (b. 1661, d. 1724), 1st earl of Oxford and Mortimer, politician, and Edward Harley (b. 1689, d. 1741), 2nd earl of Oxford and Mortimer, book collector and patron of the arts.
Edward Harley bequeathed the library to his widow, Henrietta Cavendish, née Holles (b. 1694, d. 1755) during her lifetime and thereafter to their daughter, Margaret Cavendish Bentinck (b. 1715, d.1785), duchess of Portland; the manuscripts were sold by the Countess and the Duchess in 1753 to the nation for £10,000 (a fraction of their contemporary value) under the Act of Parliament that also established the British Museum; the Harley manuscripts form one of the foundation collections of the British Library.
- Information About Copies:
-
Full digital coverage available for this manuscript: see Digitised Manuscripts at http://www.bl.uk.manuscripts/.
Select digital coverage available for this manuscript: see Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts at http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/welcome.htm.
Select digital coverage available for this manuscript; see the Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts, https://bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/.
- Publications:
-
A Catalogue of the Harleian Manuscripts in the British Museum, 4 vols (London: Eyre and Strahan, 1808-1812), III (1808), p. 203.
Samuel Berger, Histoire de la Vulgate pendant les premiers siècles du moyen âge (Paris: Hachette et cie, 1893), pp. 76, 388.
Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener, A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament, 4th edn, ed. by Edward Miller, 2 vols (London: Bell, 1894), II, p. 67.
Meyer Schapiro, 'New Documents on Saint-Gilles', Art Bulletin, 17 (1935), 414-31 (pp. 426-31, figs 1, 16).
Meyer Schapiro, 'From Mozarabic to Romanesque in Silo', Art Bulletin, 21 (1939), 313-374 (p. 323 n. 14).
Derek Howard Turner, Romanesque Illuminated Manuscripts in the British Museum (London: British Museum, 1966), p. 26, pl. 15.
Claus Michael Kauffmann, Romanesque Manuscripts 1066-1190, Survey of Manuscripts Illuminated in the British Isles, 3 (London: Miller, 1975), p. 34.
Walter Cahn, Romanesque Bible Illumination (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1982), pp. 272-73 (no. 74) [with additional bibliography].
François Avril, 'Les arts de la couleur', in Le Monde Roman 1060-1200, ed. by François Avril, Xavier Barral I Altet, and Danielle Gaborit-Chopin, 2 vols (Paris: Gallimard, 1983), I: Les Royaumes d’Occident, pp. 159-259 (pp. 187-88, pl. 154).
Walter Cahn, Romanesque Manuscripts: The Twelfth Century (London: Miller, 1996), I, p. 23; II, pp. 59, 60-61 (no. 49), 66 [with additional bibliography].
Janet Backhouse, The Illuminated Page: Ten Centuries of Manuscript Painting in the British Library (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1997), p. 42 (no. 27).
John Lowden, The Making of the Bibles Moralisées, 2 vols (University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2000), II: The Book of Ruth, p. 28, fig. 12.
Scot McKendrick and Kathleen Doyle, Bible Manuscripts: 1400 Years of Scribes and Scripture (London: British Library, 2007), p. 80 (no. 67).
- Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)
- Notes:
-
This manuscript is part of The Polonsky Foundation England and France Project: Manuscripts from the British Library and the Bibliothèque nationale de France, 700-1200.