Posted on 04/17/2012 7:17:21 AM PDT by marshmallow
The oldest intact European book - the St Cuthbert Gospel - is to remain in the UK after the British Library raised £9m to buy it.
The acquisition of the 7th Century copy of the Gospel of St John follows the library's largest fundraising campaign.
The National Heritage Memorial Fund gave £4.5m but charitable foundations, trusts and the public also contributed.
The book was sold by the Society of Jesus (British Province) to raise money for education and restoration work.
The manuscript, produced in the north-east of England, was buried with the early English Christian leader on Lindisfarne in about 698.
It was rediscovered at Durham Cathedral in 1104 after the coffin had been moved to escape Viking raids.
The library has acquired the Gospel in partnership with Durham University and Durham Cathedral, and it will be displayed equally at the library and in the North East.
It had been on loan to the British Library since 1979 and the institution was given first option to buy it.
Digitised version
"To look at this small and intensely beautiful treasure from the Anglo-Saxon period is to see it exactly as those who created it in the 7th Century would have seen it," said the library's chief executive, Dame Lynne Brindley.
"The exquisite binding, the pages, even the sewing structure survive intact, offering us a direct connection with our forebears 1,300 years ago.
"I would like to pay tribute to the donors who have made this acquisition possible.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Impressive. The uncial calligraphy is so clear (once we get into the Gospels) that it reads like computer text.
Beautiful, Holy, and Catholic. Thank you, marshmallow.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.