The oldest known Bible written in Latin, is The Codex Amiatinus, which was written by monks at Wearmouth-Jarrow monastery in the north-east of England, in 716AD. It is a treasure of the Anglo-Saxon world. Unfortunately it is the only complete copy left, and survived because it was carried to Rome as a gift for Pope Gregory II.
The Pope had once been in charge of the Papal Library, so he no doubt appreciated the gift. Its current owners, the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence have lent it back to the British Library, for its first return to Britain in 1,302 years. At half a metre in height, and more than 34kg (75lb) in weight, it took more than a thousand animal skins to make its parchment.
Which brings me on to a modern day Codex Amiatinus ... Remember all those comics you kept under the bed, and which one day mysteriously disappeared after your mother cleaned the bedroom?
Well you were right to complain .... a well kept copy of a comic from 1938 which featured the first appearance of Superman is going to auction. It's expected to fetch £600k!
..... MUM!
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| The Codex Amiatinus - Maiestas Domini (Christ in Majesty) with the Four Evangelists. |
The Pope had once been in charge of the Papal Library, so he no doubt appreciated the gift. Its current owners, the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence have lent it back to the British Library, for its first return to Britain in 1,302 years. At half a metre in height, and more than 34kg (75lb) in weight, it took more than a thousand animal skins to make its parchment.
Which brings me on to a modern day Codex Amiatinus ... Remember all those comics you kept under the bed, and which one day mysteriously disappeared after your mother cleaned the bedroom?
Well you were right to complain .... a well kept copy of a comic from 1938 which featured the first appearance of Superman is going to auction. It's expected to fetch £600k!
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| Superman Number 1 .... |
..... MUM!
I know which publication I would prefer to own; the one with the guy with the super powers, er, that is the one who wears a cape, I mean the one who walks among us as if he was one of us, you know, the one who saves us when we're in trouble - that one.
ReplyDeleteDo you mean Batman?
DeleteNo, I didn't say "the one portrayed by Christian Bale in that movie..."
DeleteHmm let me try to guess .....
Delete.... the one who's father on Earth isn't really his father, you know "Jo" who has a lowly job unlike the true father who doesn't live on Earth but chose it to be the home of his only son.
ReplyDelete...... I know, its Thor! The back story for Marvel in the 1960's was that "Thor's father Odin decides his son needed to be taught humility and consequently places Thor (without memories of godhood) into the body and memories of an existing, partially disabled human medical student, Donald Blake."
DeletePhew, you nearly had me wildly guessing Superman there .... but I knew it had to be a god ... LOL