MS 21

The first question most people ask about Special Collections: "What is the oldest book Tufts has?" It is Manuscript 21, a Latin Bible copied in Paris some time between 1240-1260 CE. The text is written on vellum, made from calf skins. It features 80 historiated initials (scenes related to the text) by artists of the Du Prat atelier; 61 foliate initials, and innumerable minor penwork initials. Opportunity for comparative research: there is another Du Prat Bible nearby, at the Boston Public Library.

The photos from MS 21 show Jerome, translator of this Latin text, depicted as a scribe; Moses placing a tablet in an ark; Elimelech, Naomi, and two children; David, traditionally regarded as author of the Psalms, playing a harp; Daniel in the lions' den; and foliate and penwork initials.

MS 21 fits the entire handwritten Bible, art, and textual apparatus into a book measuring approximately 8 x 5 inches. Eyeglasses and magnifiers existed in the Middle Ages.