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.
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 1220-1240 CE. The text is written on vellum, made from calf skins. It features 80…