Volume / Number: 3 / 299

• Florence Italy Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana Amiatino I

Written in the Northumbrian monastery of Jarrow or Wearmouth at the order of Abbot Ceolfrid (690–716). Of the three complete Bibles executed during his abbacy, it is the only one which has come down intact, twelve leaves of another being now in the British Museum (CLA 3.177). It was destined for presentation to St Peter's, Rome, as is attested by the dedicatory verses in front of the volume. Brought to Rome by Ceolfrid's followers after his death on the journey. Reached Monte Amiata probably in the abbacy of Peter the Lombard (saec. IX–X), whose name now stands over 'Ceolfrid' erased. Regarded as an autograph of Pope Gregory the Great as early as 1036. Taken to Rome for the Sixtine revision of the Vulgate (1587–90). Came from Monte Amiata to Florence with other Codices Amiatini in the reign of Peter Leopold, Duke of Etruria (1765–90), later Emperor (1790–2).

Script of the text is a characteristic, somewhat artificial uncial of the type seen in the Gospel leaves attached to the Utrecht Psalter, in the uncial portion of Durham A. II. 17 and in the Middleton leaves now at the British Museum (CLA 2.150, 177): the bow of uncial A is a thin shallow loop; the tail of G is a small fine curve to the left; S near line-ends is sometimes longish and oblique; Y often rises branch-like above the line; horizontal finials and upper curves are forked; in the smaller type of uncial used for capitula G has a straight shaded tail and the forked finials are absent, it is the type seen in the Stonyhurst Gospel (CLA 2.260). The name Servandus in the subscription at the end of Exodus (fol. 86v), which runs O KYRIC CEPBANΔOC AIΠOIHCEN, may refer to the scribe, but it is more likely that it is taken over from the exemplar. Sloping uncial occurs in corrections and in marginalia. Liturgical notes are added in uncial (foll. 526, 903v); neumes occur over a portion of Jeremiah.

☛K. Corsano, 'The First Quire of the Codex Amiatinus and the Institutiones of Cassiodorus.' Scriptorium 41 (1987) 3–34. ☛Steffens, Paléographie latine, Pl. 21. ☛Weber-Gryson, Vulgata MS A (VT, NT, Ps CLI).

• http://mss.bmlonline.it/s.aspx?Id=AWOS3h2-I1A4r7GxMdaR&c=Biblia%20Sacra#/book

• Text: MSS containing biblical text (including Gospels)
• Text: MSS containing Gospel text
• Script: MSS with sloping uncial, half-uncial, or quarter-uncial marginalia
• Text: MS witnesses to Weber-Gryson, Vulgata text (Old Testament)
• Text: MS witnesses to Weber-Gryson, Vulgata text (New Testament)
• Text: MS witnesses to Weber-Gryson, Vulgata text (Appendix)