Laura Light - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Laura Light
in Susan Boynton and Diane Reilly, The Practice of the Bible in the Middle Agesof the Bible, 2011
The transformation of the Bible in the thirteenth century was a European-wide phenomenon that in ... more The transformation of the Bible in the thirteenth century was a European-wide phenomenon that in many respects represents the beginning of the Bible as we know it today. For the first time in the Middle Ages, thirteenth-century Bibles were, like modern Bibles, usually pandects, that is, books that contained the complete Old and New Testaments in one volume. Thirteenth-century Bibles, like modern Bibles, varied in size, but many were very small indeed. Finally, for the first time in the Middle Ages, in the thirteenth century Bibles were copied in significant numbers, making them much more widely available to individuals than they had been earlier. These developments are true of Bibles produced everywhere in Western Europe. The history of the Bible known as the Paris Bible, in contrast, is the story of one particular type of Bible, defined in terms of its text, that was very important in Paris and for the development of the modern Bible. The number of thirteenth-century Bibles surviving from Paris that belong to the same general textual type-that are, in other words, examples of Paris Bibles-is remarkable. We will examine what this means, beginning with a description of the Paris Bible.
Form and Function in the Late Medieval Bible, 2013
, listing four Bibles in this group; Poleg, Mediations of the Bible, pp. 205-06, and note 136, di... more , listing four Bibles in this group; Poleg, Mediations of the Bible, pp. 205-06, and note 136, discusses five of the Bibles studied here; Josephine Case Schnurman, Studies in the Medieval Book Trade from the Late Twelfth to the Middle of the Fourteenth century with Special Reference to the Copying of the Bible, unpublished B.Litt. Thesis, St. Hilda's College, Oxford, June 1960, lists six of these Bibles in her appendix. 3 Laura Light, "Non-biblical texts in Thirteenth-Century Bibles" in Medieval Manuscripts, Their Makers and Users.
The Idda Collection: Romanesque Biblical Manuscripts c. 1000 to 1240, 2015
in Le Moyen Age et la Bible, eds. Pierre Riché and Guy Lobrichon, Bible de tous les temps 4, Paris: Éditons Beauchesne, , pp. 55-93., 1984
The Early Medieval Bible; Its Production, Decoration and Use, ed. Richard Gameson, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 155-176, 1994
The Practice of the Bible in the Western Middle Ages, eds. Susan Boynton and Diane Reilly, New York: Columbia University Press, 2011
Lusitania Sacra , 2016
Many thirteenth-century portable Bibles survive with some evidence of early Franciscan or Dominic... more Many thirteenth-century portable Bibles survive with some evidence of early Franciscan or Dominican ownership. This fact is a commonplace in the scholarly literature on thirteenth-century Bibles. But it is far from obvious how these Bibles were actually used. The traditional answer is to suggest that they were tools for preachers. Although logical (and surely true in part), the manuscript evidence points in another direction. This paper explores the non-biblical texts in mendicant Bibles that are linked to liturgical use including combined Bible-Missals, Bible-Bre-viaries, lists of Mass readings, and marginal indications of readings for the Divine Office. The importance of Bibles adapted for liturgical use – particularly prominent in the case of mendicant Bibles – suggests a need to reorient our traditional discussions of the role of the new pocket Bible in Franciscan and Dominican life. Para que servia uma Bíblia? Textos litúrgicos nas Bíblias franciscanas e dominicanas do século XIII Resumo: Muitas Bíblias portáteis do século XIII sobrevivem com marcas de propriedade inicial de franciscanos ou dominicanos. Este facto é um lugar comum na literatura académica sobre as Bíblias do século XIII. Mas está longe de ser óbvio como é que essas Bíblias foram realmente usadas. A resposta tradicional sugere que seriam instrumentos para pregadores. Embora seja lógico (e certamente verdadeiro em parte), as marcas dos manuscritos apontam noutra direção. Este artigo explora os textos não-bíblicos em Bíblias mendicantes que estão ligados ao uso litúrgico, incluindo bíblias-missais, bíblias-breviários, listas de leituras da missa e indicações marginais de leituras para o Ofício Divino. A importância das Bíblias adaptadas para uso litúrgico – particularmente proeminente no caso de Bíblias mendicantes – sugere a necessidade de reorientar as nossas discussões tradicionais sobre o papel da nova Bíblia de bolso na vida franciscana e dominicana. Palavras-chave: Bíblia portátil (de bolso), franciscanos, dominicanos, Bíblias mendicantes, liturgia .
The New Cambridge History of the Bible. Volume two, c. 600-1450, eds. Richard Marsden and E. Ann Matter, Cambridge University Press, 2012
's 'written space') and wider margins, often used for copious notes, both formal and informal. A ... more 's 'written space') and wider margins, often used for copious notes, both formal and informal. A Bible from this period that foreshadows the pocket Bible of the period following c. 1230 is Paris, BNF, lat. 16267, which measures only 160 × 110 mm. Because its parchment is still relatively thick (at least compared with that of later pocket Bibles), its compact size was instead achieved by dramatic abbreviation: whole phrases were omitted. 7 The second period, beginning c. 1230, saw the invention of a new format, the portable, 'pocket' Bible, of which many hundreds survive. There is no absolute definition of a pocket Bible, but an upper range of around 200 mm in height is convenient. 8 Paris, BNF, lat. 17954 is one of the larger examples, measuring 183 × 122 (text area 121 × 80) mm, with two columns, fifty lines and 470 folios. Astonishingly tiny examples also exist, such as Paris, BNF, lat. 233, which is 138 × 86 (89 × 60) mm, with two columns, forty-six lines and 586 folios. It was possible to copy the entire biblical text in one thick, but not hopelessly cumbersome, volume because of the invention of extremely thin, almost translucent parchment. This is a true technical innovation, and it did not appear before c. 1230. We do not know how this parchment was made. The use of uterine vellum, a traditional explanation, would have been impractical and costly. One can speculate that it was made either by shaving the parchment to the desired thinness or, perhaps, by splitting the skin. 9 Also important was the use of a minute compressed gothic script-generally descended from the glossing script found, for example, in manuscripts of the Glossa ordinaria-and a condensed page layout. The pocket Bible was an international phenomenon. The evidence suggests that the format originated at virtually the same time in France and England. One of the earliest French examples, and the earliest dated copy, is Dôle, Bibliothèque Municipale, 15, copied in 1234 by Thomas, 'clericus de Pontisara', most likely in Paris. 10 An early English pocket Bible, Oxford, BodL, Lat. Bib. e. 7, was painted by William de Brailles for a Dominican, and is datable between Trim: 228mm × 152mm
Medieval Manuscripts, Their Makers and Users. A Special Issue of Viator in Honor of Richard and Mary Rouse, Brepols, 2011, 2011
This essay explores one facet of the history of the Vulgate in the thirteenth century that has so... more This essay explores one facet of the history of the Vulgate in the thirteenth century that has sometimes been mentioned by historians, but which has never been properly analyzed: the non-biblical texts that circulated in manuscripts of the Bible. Texts related to the liturgy, such as lists of Epistle and Gospel readings for the Mass, and Bibles that include Missals, texts for preachers, including collections of sermon themes and different versions of real concordances, and texts for the classroom, such as biblical summaries and Gospel concordances, are examined in turn. Each of these texts has intrinsic interest; because of their presence within manuscripts of the Bible, they can also help us understand how the Bible was used.
in Form and Function in the Late Medieval Bible, eds. Eyal Poleg and Laura Light, 2013
This is a preliminary study based on my own examination of seventeen of the twentysix Bibles; the... more This is a preliminary study based on my own examination of seventeen of the twentysix Bibles; the remainder I know through catalogue descriptions and other studies (see Appendix). A careful examination of all these Bibles, and a comparison of the Mass texts included in each is needed for a full exploration of this topic. I would like to thank Eyal Poleg for allowing me to consult his dissertation, Mediations of the Bible in Late Medieval England, University of London,
Books by Laura Light
All those interested in medieval religion, manuscript culture and their intersection; advanced st... more All those interested in medieval religion, manuscript culture and their intersection; advanced students and experts in history, exegesis, codicology, liturgy, preaching, art history; libraries and individuals who own biblical manuscripts For more information see brill.com/form-and-function-late-medieval-bible ·
Book Reviews (selected examples) by Laura Light
in Susan Boynton and Diane Reilly, The Practice of the Bible in the Middle Agesof the Bible, 2011
The transformation of the Bible in the thirteenth century was a European-wide phenomenon that in ... more The transformation of the Bible in the thirteenth century was a European-wide phenomenon that in many respects represents the beginning of the Bible as we know it today. For the first time in the Middle Ages, thirteenth-century Bibles were, like modern Bibles, usually pandects, that is, books that contained the complete Old and New Testaments in one volume. Thirteenth-century Bibles, like modern Bibles, varied in size, but many were very small indeed. Finally, for the first time in the Middle Ages, in the thirteenth century Bibles were copied in significant numbers, making them much more widely available to individuals than they had been earlier. These developments are true of Bibles produced everywhere in Western Europe. The history of the Bible known as the Paris Bible, in contrast, is the story of one particular type of Bible, defined in terms of its text, that was very important in Paris and for the development of the modern Bible. The number of thirteenth-century Bibles surviving from Paris that belong to the same general textual type-that are, in other words, examples of Paris Bibles-is remarkable. We will examine what this means, beginning with a description of the Paris Bible.
Form and Function in the Late Medieval Bible, 2013
, listing four Bibles in this group; Poleg, Mediations of the Bible, pp. 205-06, and note 136, di... more , listing four Bibles in this group; Poleg, Mediations of the Bible, pp. 205-06, and note 136, discusses five of the Bibles studied here; Josephine Case Schnurman, Studies in the Medieval Book Trade from the Late Twelfth to the Middle of the Fourteenth century with Special Reference to the Copying of the Bible, unpublished B.Litt. Thesis, St. Hilda's College, Oxford, June 1960, lists six of these Bibles in her appendix. 3 Laura Light, "Non-biblical texts in Thirteenth-Century Bibles" in Medieval Manuscripts, Their Makers and Users.
The Idda Collection: Romanesque Biblical Manuscripts c. 1000 to 1240, 2015
in Le Moyen Age et la Bible, eds. Pierre Riché and Guy Lobrichon, Bible de tous les temps 4, Paris: Éditons Beauchesne, , pp. 55-93., 1984
The Early Medieval Bible; Its Production, Decoration and Use, ed. Richard Gameson, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 155-176, 1994
The Practice of the Bible in the Western Middle Ages, eds. Susan Boynton and Diane Reilly, New York: Columbia University Press, 2011
Lusitania Sacra , 2016
Many thirteenth-century portable Bibles survive with some evidence of early Franciscan or Dominic... more Many thirteenth-century portable Bibles survive with some evidence of early Franciscan or Dominican ownership. This fact is a commonplace in the scholarly literature on thirteenth-century Bibles. But it is far from obvious how these Bibles were actually used. The traditional answer is to suggest that they were tools for preachers. Although logical (and surely true in part), the manuscript evidence points in another direction. This paper explores the non-biblical texts in mendicant Bibles that are linked to liturgical use including combined Bible-Missals, Bible-Bre-viaries, lists of Mass readings, and marginal indications of readings for the Divine Office. The importance of Bibles adapted for liturgical use – particularly prominent in the case of mendicant Bibles – suggests a need to reorient our traditional discussions of the role of the new pocket Bible in Franciscan and Dominican life. Para que servia uma Bíblia? Textos litúrgicos nas Bíblias franciscanas e dominicanas do século XIII Resumo: Muitas Bíblias portáteis do século XIII sobrevivem com marcas de propriedade inicial de franciscanos ou dominicanos. Este facto é um lugar comum na literatura académica sobre as Bíblias do século XIII. Mas está longe de ser óbvio como é que essas Bíblias foram realmente usadas. A resposta tradicional sugere que seriam instrumentos para pregadores. Embora seja lógico (e certamente verdadeiro em parte), as marcas dos manuscritos apontam noutra direção. Este artigo explora os textos não-bíblicos em Bíblias mendicantes que estão ligados ao uso litúrgico, incluindo bíblias-missais, bíblias-breviários, listas de leituras da missa e indicações marginais de leituras para o Ofício Divino. A importância das Bíblias adaptadas para uso litúrgico – particularmente proeminente no caso de Bíblias mendicantes – sugere a necessidade de reorientar as nossas discussões tradicionais sobre o papel da nova Bíblia de bolso na vida franciscana e dominicana. Palavras-chave: Bíblia portátil (de bolso), franciscanos, dominicanos, Bíblias mendicantes, liturgia .
The New Cambridge History of the Bible. Volume two, c. 600-1450, eds. Richard Marsden and E. Ann Matter, Cambridge University Press, 2012
's 'written space') and wider margins, often used for copious notes, both formal and informal. A ... more 's 'written space') and wider margins, often used for copious notes, both formal and informal. A Bible from this period that foreshadows the pocket Bible of the period following c. 1230 is Paris, BNF, lat. 16267, which measures only 160 × 110 mm. Because its parchment is still relatively thick (at least compared with that of later pocket Bibles), its compact size was instead achieved by dramatic abbreviation: whole phrases were omitted. 7 The second period, beginning c. 1230, saw the invention of a new format, the portable, 'pocket' Bible, of which many hundreds survive. There is no absolute definition of a pocket Bible, but an upper range of around 200 mm in height is convenient. 8 Paris, BNF, lat. 17954 is one of the larger examples, measuring 183 × 122 (text area 121 × 80) mm, with two columns, fifty lines and 470 folios. Astonishingly tiny examples also exist, such as Paris, BNF, lat. 233, which is 138 × 86 (89 × 60) mm, with two columns, forty-six lines and 586 folios. It was possible to copy the entire biblical text in one thick, but not hopelessly cumbersome, volume because of the invention of extremely thin, almost translucent parchment. This is a true technical innovation, and it did not appear before c. 1230. We do not know how this parchment was made. The use of uterine vellum, a traditional explanation, would have been impractical and costly. One can speculate that it was made either by shaving the parchment to the desired thinness or, perhaps, by splitting the skin. 9 Also important was the use of a minute compressed gothic script-generally descended from the glossing script found, for example, in manuscripts of the Glossa ordinaria-and a condensed page layout. The pocket Bible was an international phenomenon. The evidence suggests that the format originated at virtually the same time in France and England. One of the earliest French examples, and the earliest dated copy, is Dôle, Bibliothèque Municipale, 15, copied in 1234 by Thomas, 'clericus de Pontisara', most likely in Paris. 10 An early English pocket Bible, Oxford, BodL, Lat. Bib. e. 7, was painted by William de Brailles for a Dominican, and is datable between Trim: 228mm × 152mm
Medieval Manuscripts, Their Makers and Users. A Special Issue of Viator in Honor of Richard and Mary Rouse, Brepols, 2011, 2011
This essay explores one facet of the history of the Vulgate in the thirteenth century that has so... more This essay explores one facet of the history of the Vulgate in the thirteenth century that has sometimes been mentioned by historians, but which has never been properly analyzed: the non-biblical texts that circulated in manuscripts of the Bible. Texts related to the liturgy, such as lists of Epistle and Gospel readings for the Mass, and Bibles that include Missals, texts for preachers, including collections of sermon themes and different versions of real concordances, and texts for the classroom, such as biblical summaries and Gospel concordances, are examined in turn. Each of these texts has intrinsic interest; because of their presence within manuscripts of the Bible, they can also help us understand how the Bible was used.
in Form and Function in the Late Medieval Bible, eds. Eyal Poleg and Laura Light, 2013
This is a preliminary study based on my own examination of seventeen of the twentysix Bibles; the... more This is a preliminary study based on my own examination of seventeen of the twentysix Bibles; the remainder I know through catalogue descriptions and other studies (see Appendix). A careful examination of all these Bibles, and a comparison of the Mass texts included in each is needed for a full exploration of this topic. I would like to thank Eyal Poleg for allowing me to consult his dissertation, Mediations of the Bible in Late Medieval England, University of London,
All those interested in medieval religion, manuscript culture and their intersection; advanced st... more All those interested in medieval religion, manuscript culture and their intersection; advanced students and experts in history, exegesis, codicology, liturgy, preaching, art history; libraries and individuals who own biblical manuscripts For more information see brill.com/form-and-function-late-medieval-bible ·