The Holkham Bible Picture Book
England, fourteenth century
Rounded Gothic bookhand
British Library, London (Great Britain)
Ms. Add. 47680
Date of Publication of the Facsimile: 1954
Publisher: The Dropmore Press, London (Great Britain)
Plates printed by: The University Press, Oxford (Great Britain)
The Holkham Bible is named after Holkham (Norfolk), where the manuscript was
kept until it came to the British Museum. It is not a continuous retelling of the Bible.
Incorporating much apocryphal material, it first recounts the events related in Genesis
up until the Flood, continues with the Life of Christ, then goes up to the Second Coming
of Christ.
Commissioned by a Dominican patron, this work was intended for the edification of the
merchant classes and was meant to be carried around by a preacher whon would show it
to his wealthy listeners as they were being instructed. The text is in Anglo-Norman.
The amount of text suggests that the book was meant for people who could read reasonably
well, but not fluently.
(Permission to reproduce images from this facsimile was not granted.)
