Oxford Bible

Biblia Sacra Latina, Versio Vulgata

Vellum leaf from an illuminated Medieval Manuscript
England (Oxford); Middle 13th Century
Latin Text; Angular Gothic Script
20 by 14 cm

It is usually difficult to dinstinguish the miniature or portable Bibles made by the young Dominican friars in England from those written in France. At times the colophon tells us that a book was executed in the Sorbonne, the newly founded school of theology in Paris, or in the University Center at Oxford. The Dominican order was founded in 1216 A.D. and soon spread all over Europe. About 1219 A.D., King Alexander of Scotland met St. Dominic in Paris and persuaded him to send some members of his brotherhood to Scotland. From here they spread to England. The original master text was carelessly transcribed again and again. It may even have been incorrectly copied from the Alcuinian text written for Charlemagne. Therefore, "correctories" had to be made. In the latter part of the 13th century, Roger Bacon condemned unsparingly manuscripts which, although they were skillfully and beautifully written, transmitted inaccuracies of text.

Keywords: 1200s, Bible, England, formal, gothic, script

Manuscripts | Cary Collection