Image Gallery: Ancient Texts Go Online
Nash Papyrus
The "Nash Papyrus," which contains the text of the Ten Commandments.
Book of Deer
An illumination at beginning of Gospel of John in the "Book of Deer," a pocket Bible generally dated to the first half of the 10th century.
"Cast the first stone…"
Pictured here is the beginning of the Gospel of John in the "Codex Bezae." This version of John contains the oldest copy of the story of the adulterous woman (John 7.53-8.11) — the biblical episode is where the phrase "let him who is without sin, cast the first stone" comes from.
A centuries-old benedictional
This is the 16th century benedictional of Robert de Clercq with an illumination by Simon Bening (1483-1561), one of the foremost Flemish miniaturists of his time.
Life of Edward the Confessor
An illumination from the "Life of Edward the Confessor" showing the battle of Hastings.
Kalpasūtra by Bhadrabāhu
A 15th or 16th century manuscript of an important Jain text.
Quran fragment
Fragment of an Abbasid Quran, showing geometric ornamentation. Probably written in the ninth century.
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