In the Beginning

Michelle Brown, former curator at the British Library, gathers together seventy fragile biblical treasures in this sumptuously illustrated volume that captures the development of both Bible and book, as well as a formative period of early Christian history. The book features a number of rare parchments, codices, illuminated manuscripts, and jeweled bindings, including new finds from the Monastery of St. Catherine's at Mount Sinai, Egypt, and the Niketas Bible of the 10th-century CE, one of the greatest examples of Byzantine illumination. Leading authorities in the field explore the early history of the Bible in the accompanying essays, revealing its transformation into the complex symbol of faith that it is today.Michelle P. Brown is Professor of Medieval Manuscript Studies, University of London; Visiting Professor, Leeds University; Regional Programmes (and formerly Curator of Illuminated Manuscripts), British Library; Lay Canon and Chapter Member of Saint Paul's Cathedral, London.Brown gathers together 70 fragile biblical treasures in this richly illustrated volume that captures a formative period of early Christan history.