Written and illuminated in Northern France, doubtless Paris, 2nd quarter of 13th Century (most likely ca. 1240). Embellished with eleven ...
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Also of interest is the inclusion of two remarkable prologues by St Jerome in the Book of Job. The first prologue ("Cogor per singulos..."), probably written in 392, "is full of personal interest, and shows the deplorable state in which the text of many parts of Scripture was before his time, thus justifying his boast, 'I have rescued Job from the dunghill'."
"Jerome complains that he is "compelled at every step in my treatment of the books of Holy Scripture to reply to the abuse of my opponents, who charge my translation with being a censure of the Septuagint". (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Second Series, Volume VI: Jerome). He also comments on the poetic structure of the Book of Job, noting that a large portion of the book is written in "hexameter verses running in dactyl and spondee: and owing to the idiom of the language other feet are frequently introduced not containing the same number of syllables, but the same quantities. Sometimes, also, a sweet and musical rhythm is produced by the breaking up of the verses in accordance with the laws of metre, a fact better known to prosodists than to the ordinary reader." (ibid.)
He concludes with a powerful appeal to the reader : "Let those who will keep the old books with their gold and silver letters on purple skins, [...] if only they will leave for me and mine, our poor pages and copies which are less remarkable for beauty than for accuracy. I have toiled to translate both the Greek versions of the Seventy, and the Hebrew which is the basis of my own, into Latin. Let every one choose which he likes, and he will find out that what he objects to in me, is the result of sound learning, not of malice."
In the second preface ("Si aut fiscellam junco...") Jerome indignantly observes that no one would have interfered with him had he spent his days, like so many monks, in plaiting rushes, or weaving palm-leaves into mats, but that he was reviled as a forger, because he applied himself to the correction of the Sacred Text.
Jerome's prologue to Psalms has not been included in this Bible, which is not uncommon; in fact, many of the 13th-century 'pocket' Bible manuscripts, especially those written in England, omitted Psalms altogether. It should also be noted that some of the more popular psalms (such as, for example, Psalm 50 "Miserere") are given here in abbreviated form, with only a few initial words of every verse given, evidently assuming that the reader knows them by heart.
The Psalms here, like in most medieval bibles, are the Versio Gallicana or Psalterium Gallicanum. This was the second revision of the Latin text of Psalms produced by Jerome in Palestine ca. 386-391 from the Hexaplaric Septuagint with the intent to bring the Latin closer to the Hebrew. Its popularity in Gaul was such that it came to be known as the Gallican Psalter. This version was later adopted into the Vulgate. It became the psalter of the Vulgate bible, and the basis for Gregorian chant. It has been the standard psalter used in the canonical hours throughout the West from the time of Charlemagne. It is still used today in some monasteries and churches and by traditionalist Catholics. (The third revision, actually a fresh translation, made by Jerome directly from the Hebrew and often referred to as Versio juxta Hebraicum, never enjoyed wide circulation.)
The Book of Job, in addition to its religious significance, has been recognized as a major work of literature in its own right. It has exerted a profound influence on Western culture, and has often been included in lists of the greatest books of the world literature. The Book of Job has been the subject of theological discussion and teaching since ancient times, and also inspired extensive exegetical and philosophical commentary by modern secular critics (Søren Kierkegaard, Carl Jung, etc). The story's depiction of the undeserved hardship experienced by a virtuous and pious man has served both as a means of advocating traditional morals and as a spring-board for complex philosophical exchanges regarding the problem of human suffering. Combining elements of folklore, wisdom literature, prophetic literature, poetic drama, tragedy, lament, hymn, diatribe, proverb, and judiciary procedure, The Book of Job defies strict literary classification. "The Book of Job is surely one of the very great works of literature of the world. It touches the core of existence; it probes to the root of the problems of good and evil, the destiny of man, the meaning of friendship, the wisdom and goodness of God, and the justification of suffering." (Paul Weiss)
The manuscript contains ELEVEN SPLENDID ILLUMINATED INITIALS, most of which incorporate grotesque animals or monsters, and have marginal extensions. The illumination is tentatively (but with high probability) attributed to the Gautier Lebaube atelier which was active in Paris ca. 1240. Gauthier Lebaube clearly specialized in Bibles (of the fifteen manuscripts attributed to the Lebaube Atelier by Branner, thirteen are Bibles). Lebaube's productions were in high demand, and he attracted luxurious commissions from the most noble clients: the two illuminated leaves in Glazier Collection with the Tree of Affinity and Consanguinity (one of which bears the artist's signature) may have been made for St Louis himself). The illumination of our manuscript shows definite resemblance to the initials in another finely illuminated Bible produced by the Lebaube atelier, which was given to the Abbey of St Victor in Paris by Queen Blanche of Castille (died in 1252), now in Bibliothèque Nationale de France (MS Lat. 14397).
Branner notes that a hallmark of the Lebaube ornamental style is "the frequent use of small animals, birds and monsters [...] Animals, particularly dogs seem to be [...] ubiquitous [...]. Hybrids [i.e.] dragons or monsters with human [...] account for a number of images. Perhaps more characteristic, however, are the animal-headed birds that form tails to the initials." (Manuscript Painting in Paris During the Reign of St.Louis, p.73)
Most of these features are clearly present in the illuminated initials of this manuscript. Particularly remarkable is the amazing grotesque initial 'D' on f.15v, with a long marginal extension depicting a hybrid monster with human head and torso and reptilian or dragon-like tail, aiming a bow at a sinister-looking humanoid creature perched on the top of the initial.
The manuscript is written in very small and neat gothic bookhand, sometimes referred to as the pearl script, about which Derolez writes: "'Perlschrift' (pearl script) is an extremely small size of Textualis, developed by scribes in the thirteenth century especially to copy the famous 'Parisian pocket Bibles'. Although it was intended to be a luxurious high-level script, and thus one might expect to call it Textualis Formata, its letter forms, because they are so small, are simplified, often irregular (incorporating, for example, several shapes of a), and have few gothic refinements. Where these do occur, as in the bifurcation at the top of the ascenders, they tend to be exaggerated." (Albert Derolez, The Palaeography of Gothic Manuscript Books, p.100)
The rather interesting ruling pattern of this manuscript with four pairs of horizontal "through lines" is also worth noting. According to Derolez (op. cit., p.38), "during the late twelfth and the thirteenth centuries there seems to have been a special predilection for intricate ruling patterns (at least for manuscripts belonging to the higher level of execution). Double, triple or quadruple through lines may appear at the top, in the middle and at the bottom of the written area, and supplementary lines were added in the margins, thus creating a complicated grid of horizontal and vertical lines which evokes the buttresses, flying buttresses and pinnacles of gothic architecture. While some of the lines could be used for the writing of running headlines [etc.], others, such as the through lines in the middle of the page had no practical purpose at all. Such practices, as a whole, may be interpreted as playing an important role in the decoration of the page."
PRICETAG: $12,500.00
