Gallery

Browse all images in this exhibit by section and by the order they appear within each section.

The University of Michigan Library has placed copies of these works online for educational and research purposes. For more information about using images from this exhibit please see the Rights Statement.

The Hebrew Bible

Fol. 14v. Page containing the account of the Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22), from a codex containing the TorahEgypt, Palestine, Babylonia? Tenth century?
Fol. 15r. Page containing the account of the Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22), from a codex containing the TorahEgypt, Palestine, Babylonia? Tenth century?
Fol. 15v. Page containing the account of the Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22), from a codex containing the TorahEgypt, Palestine, Babylonia? Tenth century?

The Greek Bible

Epistle to the RomansSt. Paul, Romans, 13:2-13:11.Egypt, late second-fourth century CE.
Epistle to the RomansSt. Paul, Romans, 13:12-14:8.Egypt, late second-fourth century CE.
Gospel of MatthewMatthew, 26:19-37.Egypt, first half of the fourth century CE.
Acts of Paul (fragment)Egypt, second half of the third to first half of the fourth century CE.
Recto of parchment fragment containing Genesis 13:7-8Egypt, fourth century CE.
Verso of parchment fragment containing Genesis 13:10Egypt, fourth century CE.

The Bible in Coptic

Parchment fragment. Verso. Book of JeremiahWhite Monastery, Sohag (Egypt), tenth century
Fol.103r, from a codex containing the correspondence of Christ with Abgar, the King of Edessa, two texts by the fourth or fifth century ascetic writer Paul of Tamma, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Ruth. Egypt, late sixth or early seventh century
Fol. 49r., from a codex containing Psalms 51-150. Egypt, late sixth or early seventh century
Bifolium, 5v and 4r, containing a syllabary and the beginning of St. Paul's Epistle to the RomansTheadelphia, Themistou meris, Arsinoite nome, province of Egypt? Fourth century CE?
Fol. 6r, containing a syllabary, the continuation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, and the first verse of the Book of JobTheadelphia, Themistou meris, Arsinoite nome, province of Egypt? Fourth century CE?

The Byzantine Bible

Fol. 39r. Gospel of Matthew, from a Book of GospelsGreece, end of tenth-beginning of eleventh century; miniatures: beginning of twelfth century
Fol. 5r. Canon Table X, from a Book of GospelsGreece, end of tenth-beginning of eleventh century; miniatures: beginning of twelfth century
Fol. 83v. The Evangelist Mark, from a book of the Four GospelsGreece, end of tenth-beginning of eleventh century; miniatures: beginning of twelfth century
Fol. 120r. The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, from a codex containing the Acts and EpistlesConstantinople, last quarter of the thirteenth century
Fol. 150v. Headpiece for the Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, from a codex containing the Acts and EpistlesConstantinople, last quarter of the thirteenth century
Fol. 210v. Headpiece for the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, from a codex containing the Acts and EpistlesConstantinople, last quarter of the thirteenth century

The Bible in Armenian

The Evangelist Mark, from a manuscript of the Four GospelsEdessa, Mesopotamia, 1161
Beginning of the Gospel according to Mark, from a manuscript of the Four GospelsEdessa, Mesopotamia, 1161
Fol. 275r, containing the colophon of a manuscript of the Four GospelsEdessa, Mesopotamia, 1161
Seventeenth-century Armenian style binding covering a manuscript of the Four GospelsEdessa, Mesopotamia, 1161

The Latin Vulgate

Fol. 1r, containing the beginning of Jerome's Preface to the Four Gospels, from a manuscript of the Gospel of Luke with the Glossa OrdinariaPark Abbey, Louven, twelfth century
Fol. 9r, beginning of the Gospel of Luke with the Glossa OrdinariaPark Abbey, Louven, twelfth century
Fol. 266v, initial "P" opening St. Paul's Epistles to the Galatians, from Biblia Latina.Italy, thirteenth century
Fol. 292r, containing text of the "Interpretation of Hebrew Names", from Biblia Latina.Italy, thirteenth century

The Qur'an: Early transcription

al-Qurʼān, Sūrat al-Mulk (67) verses 23-30 with illuminated heading for Sūrat al-Qalam (68)
al-Qurʼān, Sūrat al-Nisāʼ (4) verses 90-92
al-Qurʼān, Sūrat al-Tawbah (9) verses 118-121
al-Qurʼān, Sūrat Hūd (11) verses 94-103

The Qur'an: Functional formats

Folio from a monumental copy of the Qurʼān, Sūrat Ibrāhīm (14) verses 28-36
Pocket-sized copy of the Qur’ān, illuminated opening
Miniature copy of the Qurʼān in octagonal format
Volume of select sūrahs (chapters) from the the Qur’ān, illuminated opening
Two volumes from a multi-volume copy of the Qur’ān
Opening of volume 21 from a 30-volume copy of the Qur’ān
Slender copy of the Qur’ān in only 31 folios

The Qur'an: Diversity in artistry

Kashmiri copy of the Qur’ān, illuminated opening
Late Ottoman copy of the Qur’ān, illuminated opening
West African loose-leaf copy of the Qur’ān with wrapper and satchel

The Qur'an: Explore further

Selection of manuscripts from the Early Abbasid period