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Cambridge. Corpus Christi College, Parker Library MS 2III

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Source
Parker Library On the Web (Cambridge)
Library
UK, Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, Parker Library
Shelfmark
  • MS 002III
Biblissima authority file
Date
  • 1100 - 1199
Language
  • Latin
Title
  • Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 002III: The Bury Bible
  • The Bury Bible
Description

  • Summary: This great Bible, CCCC MS 2, one of the most famous of the books in the Parker Library, is now bound in three volumes (2I, 2II, 2III), although once was a single volume. 2I contains ff. 1r-121v with Jerome’s Prologue and the books from Genesis to Joshua; 2II contains ff. 122r-241v with the books from Judges to Isaiah; 2III contains ff. 242r-357v with the books from Jeremiah to Job. The single volume thus contained the books of the Old Testament from Genesis to Job, and the second volume with the remainder of the Bible has not survived. It can be identified with a Bible commissioned by Hervey, the sacrist, for his brother, Talbot, prior of Bury St Edmunds Abbey, c. 1135-8, which was illuminated by Master Hugo. The miniatures and some of the illuminated initials are painted on separate pieces of vellum stuck to the page, and the description of the Bible in the Gesta Sacristarum attests that master Hugo 'was unable to find any suitable calf-hide in these parts' and had to purchase parchment from Ireland. Six large full-page or half-page miniatures preface some of the books, whereas the others have historiated or ornamental initials. Six of the large pictures have been removed from the book and are lost. It is a prime example of the very large luxury Bibles made in the twelfth century for monastic houses. The artist, Master Hugo, was influenced by Byzantine painting, and may have seen either illuminated manuscripts opr wall-paintings, such as those of Asinou in Cyprus which most closely resemble his style. The faces are modelled with shading in green and grey, and the folds are divided into sections reflecting the position of the limbs. This has been called the 'damp-fold' style and influenced many other artists working in England in the period c. 1140-70 at Canterbury, Winchester and elsewhere. After the dissolution of the abbey of Bury St Edmunds at the Reformation the Bible eventually came into the hands of Matthew Parker.


    Contents :


    242r-357v - The Bury Bible

    rubric: (245r) Explicit Ysaias propheta habet versus III D LXXX

    Note: (245r) Prol. to Jeremiah

    incipit: (245r) Ieremias propheta cui hic prologus

    Note: (245v) The lower half has a picture, stuck on. Fine frame with pattern drawn in perspective on black ground. Ground of picture blue with green panels. Above, Jeremiah seated on rocks holds out white scroll to R. Below, on L., three soldiers attack a walled city (Jerusalem) which is defended by three within who throw red stones. These warriors have helmets, chain mail, and pointed shields

    Note: (246r) Decorative initial, stuck on

    Note: (274v) Prologue to Baruch

    incipit: (274v) Liber iste qui baruch nomine

    Note: (275r) Decorative initial (a green monkey in the middle: very good) stuck on

    Note: (277r) Epistle of Jeremy (Jeremiah). Decorative initial, not stuck on

    Note: (278r) Hebrew alphabet. The forms of the letters are not given, but the names are given twice with different Latin equivalents

    Note: (278r) 1. Aleph doctrina - Tau signa

    Note: (278v) 2. Aleph deus - Tau fortitude

    rubric: (278v) Incipit lamentatioJeremie prophete quod est in titulo chynoth cum absolutione litterarum hebraicarum

    rubric: (281r) Explicit Lamentatio Jeremie prophete. Incipit oratio eiusdem (= Lam. v)

    rubric: (281r) Explicit Jeremias propheta habet uersus IIII CCCC L

    Note: (281r) Prologue to Ezekiel

    incipit: (281r) Ezechiel propheta cum Ioachin

    Note: (281r) with initial

    Note: (281v) Picture (and initial) stuck on. The picture is reproduced in colours in Camb. Ant. Soc. Proc. vol. VII, pl. VIII (I). The main grounds are blue and green. In C. a mandorla with Christ seated on the rainbow, holding open book on His knee and blessing. Four masks of winds blowing at top and bottom. In 4 circles R. and L. formed by conventional branch-work are the Four creatures: L. top, Angel with book; below, lion with scroll. R. top, Eagle with scroll; below, ox with scroll, all nimbed and winged. At bottom in C. in (rather more than) half circle, Ezekiel half-length in pointed cap holding scroll in both hands and looking up

    Note: (300r) On the margin a deer is sketched and below it in pencil halla(?)

    rubric: (307r) Explicit Ezechiel propheta habet versus III CCC XL

    Note: (307r) Prologue to Daniel with initial

    incipit: (307r) Danielem prophetam iuxta septuaginta

    Note: (307v) Decorative initial to text, stuck on

    rubric: (317v) Explicit Daniel propheta habet versus mille DCCCtos Lta

    Note: (317v) Prol. beati Hieronimi presbiteri in liber XIIcim prophetarum qui apud hebreos dicitur Thareasra

    incipit: (317v) Non idem ordo

    Note: (318r) Prol. in Osee

    incipit: (318r) Temporibus loathan

    Note: (318r) Osee. Initial stuck on

    rubric: (321v) Explicit Osee propheta

    Note: (321v) Argumenta to Joel

    Note: 1.

    incipit: (321v) Iohel filius fatuhel

    Note: 2.

    incipit: (321v) Iohel qui interpretatur

    Note: 3.

    incipit: (321v) Iohel de tribu ruben

    Note: (322r) Initial stripped off. On this leaf is the sketch of St Edmund's head

    Note: (323r) Arguments to Amos

    Note: 1. (With initial)

    incipit: (323r) Amos propheta

    Note: 2.

    incipit: (323v) Ozias rex

    Note: 3.

    Note: (323v) Amos pastor

    Note: (324r) Initial not stuck on. Amos nimbed, seated, holds scroll. Green ground

    Note: (326v) Arguments to Obadiah

    Note: 1.

    incipit: (326v) Jacob patriarcha

    Note: 2.

    incipit: (326v) Abdias qui interpretatur

    Note: (327r) Initial stripped off

    Note: (327r) Arguments to Jonah

    Note: 1.

    incipit: (327r) Jonam sanctum hebrei

    Note: 2.

    incipit: (327v) Jonas columba

    Note: (327v) Initial, not stuck on

    Note: (328v) Arguments to Micah

    Note: 1.

    incipit: (328v) Temporibus loathan

    Note: 2.

    incipit: (328v) Micheas de morasthi

    Note: (328v) Initial not stuck on. Micah in cap and mantle and tunic holds scroll. He stands in a kind of running attitude. Green and blue ground

    Note: (330v) Arguments to Nahum

    Note: 1.

    incipit: (330v) Naum prophetam

    Note: 2.

    incipit: (331r) Naum consolator

    Note: (331r) Initial not stuck on

    Note: (332r) Arguments to Habakkuk

    Note: 1. (With initial)

    incipit: (332r) Quatuor propheta

    Note: 2.

    incipit: (332v) Abbacuc amplexans

    Note: 3.

    incipit: (333r) Abbacuc luctator

    Note: (333r) Initial stuck on

    Note: (334r) Arguments to Zephaniah

    Note: 1. (With initial)

    incipit: (334r) Tradunt hebrei

    Note: 2.

    incipit: (334v) Sophonias speculator

    Note: (334v) Initial stuck on

    Note: (335v) Arguments to Haggai

    Note: 1. (Initial)

    incipit: (335v) Moriente dario

    Note: 2.

    incipit: (335v) Aggeus festiuus

    Note: (335v) Initial, not stuck on

    Note: (336v) Arguments to Zechariah

    Note: 1 (Initial)

    incipit: (336v) Secundo anno darii filii

    Note: 2.

    incipit: (337r) Secundo anno darii regis

    Note: 3.

    incipit: (337r) Zacharias memor

    Note: (337v) Initial, not stuck on

    Note: (341v) Arguments to Malachi

    Note: 1.

    incipit: (341v) Ultimum duodecim

    Note: 2.

    incipit: (341v) Malachias interpretatur

    Note: 3.

    incipit: (341v) Malachias aperte

    Note: (342r) Initial, not stuck on

    rubric: (343r) Explicit Malachias propheta prophetarum xii III DCCC versus sunt

    Note: (343r) Prologue to Job

    Note: 1.

    incipit: (343r) Cogor per singulos

    Note: with initial

    Note: 2.

    incipit: (343v) In terra quidem habitasse

    Note: (344r) Capitula

    Note: (344v) Picture, stuck on (⅔ of page). Frame mainly red blue in triangles, ground blue and green. Above on R. Job kneels on rocks. The Divine Hand on R. On L. his seven sons and three daughters face R. Below on red ground, separated off by cusped line, Job seated on rocks, in blue loincloth only. His wife on L. holds a blank scroll. The initial and first words of text are introduced in the lower L. corner

    Note: (357r) Several supplementary prologues, viz.

    Note: (357r) Prol. in Job

    incipit: (357r) Si aut fiscellam

    Note: (357r) Arg. in Job

    incipit: (357r) Job exemplar

    Note: (357v) Arg. in Danihelem

    incipit: (357v) Daniel interpretatur iudicium

    rubric: (357v) Ieronimus de libro duodecim prophetarum

    incipit: (357v) Duodecim prophete in unius

    Note: (357v) Arg. in Sophoniam

    incipit: (357v) Iosiam regem iude

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  • Images courtesy of The Parker Library, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For higher resolution images suitable for scholarly or commercial publication, either in print or in an electronic format, please contact the Parker Library directly at parker-library@corpus.cam.ac.uk
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