St Cuthbert's Gospel Sold for £9 Million

I thought that this may be of marginal interest to one or two here...

The St. Cuthbert Gospel is the oldest surviving European book, and thus one of the most important volumes in the world. The Gospel is a Latin pocket edition of John that was originally placed in the Cuthbert’s tomb some time after his death in 687. The book most likely did not belong to Cuthbert, but was created at Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey to be placed in his coffin when his body was translated to Lindisfarne at the end of the 7th century.

After an intense fundraising campaign, the British Library has acquired the book from British Province of the Society of Jesus for £9 million.

www.patheos.com...

If you click on the link there are a couple of photographs, and what is so wonderful is how this book is in almost immaculate condition, but then I suppose it was entombed with it and not subject to being leafed through by generation after generation of grubby paws. Beautiful all the same.

A little of St Cuthbert...for general context...

Saint Cuthbert (c. 634 – 20 March 687) was an Anglo-Saxon monk, bishop and hermit, associated with the monasteries of Melrose and Lindisfarne in the Kingdom of Northumbria. After his death he became one of the most important medieval saints of England, with a cult centred at Durham Cathedral. Cuthbert is regarded as the patron saint of northern England. His feast day is 20 March.

Cuthbert's fame for piety, diligence, and obedience quickly grew. When Alchfrith, king of Deira, founded a new monastery at Ripon, Cuthbert became its praepositus hospitum or guest master under Eata. When Wilfrid was given the monastery, Eata and Cuthbert returned to Melrose. Illness struck the monastery in 664 and while Cuthbert recovered, the prior died and Cuthbert was made prior in his place.[8][9] He spent much time among the people, ministering to their spiritual needs, carrying out missionary journeys, preaching, and performing miracles.

After the Synod of Whitby, Cuthbert seems to have accepted the Roman customs, and his old abbot, Eata, called on him to introduce them at Lindisfarne as prior there. His asceticism was complemented by his charm and generosity to the poor, and his reputation for gifts of healing and insight led many people to consult him, gaining him the name of "Wonder Worker of Britain". He continued his missionary work, travelling the breadth of the country from Berwick to Galloway to carry out pastoral work and founding an oratory at Dull, Scotland complete with a large stone cross, and a little cell for himself, at a site which subsequently became a monastery then later the University of St Andrews.[8] He is also said to have founded St Cuthbert's Church in Edinburgh.[10]

en.wikipedia.org...

It is, of course, an obscene amount of money to spend on a book, but I am glad that it is in a public collection, especially the British Library.

Reading a little more on the history of this little book. It was gifted to the Society of Jesus in 1769 and taken to Leige.

Reminded me that you don't hear that much about the Jesuits around here anymore. They're better off by £9 million now either way.

Thank you for posting this, very interesting. To think how monks used to painstakingly in cold drafty conditions copy books by hand. What a treasure.

reply to post by Iamschist


Indeed, but it must have been far preferable than being a chantry monk and having to spend dawn till dusk praying for the soul of some rich benefactor. Often standing up all day on those hard stone floors, I should imagine that many a monk suffered from severe varicose veins

A scribe monk however, would have spent alot of his time collecting ingredients to manufacture his own inks, which would have meant numerous forays into the countryside or the monastery garden...which doesn't sound such a bad life now does it? I think you and I certainly could have tolerated that.