How Many Pages Were in Handwritten Medieval Bibles?

The concept of the modern Bible, a single tome containing all the books of both the Old and New Testaments, was not a common occurrence in medieval times. While the four Gospels were often conflated into a single collection, it was unusual for a complete medieval Bible to be contained within a single volume. Instead, many were written as 2-4 volume sets, each volume tailored to fit the available parchment size and content.

The Importance of Parchment Size in Medieval Manuscripts

One of the key factors that influenced the length of a handwritten medieval Bible was the parchment used. Parchment size played a crucial role in determining the layout and number of pages in each volume. The options for manuscript sizes were based on how many times a piece of animal hide could be folded and cut to produce individual pages. The chart below outlines the different sizes and corresponding folding methods:

Parchment Type Foldings Number of Leaves Number of Pages Folio Once 2 Leaves 4 Pages-Sides Quarto Twice 4 Leaves 8 Page-Sides Octavo Thrice 8 Leaves 16 Page-Sides Duodecimo Four Times 12 Leaves 24 Page-Sides

Folio-sized manuscripts were typically the largest, measuring around 570 x 350 mm, while duodecimo-sized ones were the smallest, fitting into a large pocket. This variance had a significant impact on the total number of pages needed to contain the entire Bible.

Extensive Examples of Medieval Bibles

One notable example is the Anglo-Saxon Bible (Royal MS 1 E. VII-VIII), a two-volume set where one volume contained the Old Testament and the other the New. Each volume was exceptionally large, measuring 570 x 350 mm, the size of a suitcase or toddler. This resulted in the entire set containing a staggering 1,212 pages. It is believed that it took a team of five to six monks working tirelessly for a period of twelve years to complete this impressive manuscript. While this is indeed an unusually large book, parchment sizes varied widely, affecting the overall page count.

It's important to note that parchment sizes were not uniform, with common folio-sized manuscripts measuring around 450 x 280 mm. These sizes often prevented the full inclusion of the Bible, requiring omissions of minor works like 1st and 2nd Maccabees or Jude, or the creation of three-volume or four-volume sets. Small formats like quartos (about the size of a large college textbook or dictionary) would typically contain only 5-12 books of the Bible, while octavos (the size of a small college textbook or large trade paperback) would often include 2-3 long books or 5-8 shorter books from the Bible. The Saint Cuthbert Gospel, an example of an octavo-sized manuscript, measures 138 by 92 millimeters and includes only the Gospel of John.

Even with the smallest formats, like the Taverner Prayer Book (Add. MS 88991), measuring 70 x 52 mm, these manuscripts were designed to be palm-sized and could contain only a dozen or so prayers and a handful of Psalms. The even smaller Stowe MS 956 contained about 32 tiny pages of Biblical excerpts, each page size comparable to a modern postage stamp.

Conclusion

In summary, the number of pages in handwritten medieval Bibles could vary greatly depending on the size of the parchment and the content included. From as few as 32 pages to the 1,212 pages seen in the Anglo-Saxon Bible, the diversity in manuscript sizes reflects the flexibility and practicality of medieval scribes. These pages, though numbering in the hundreds, encapsulate a wealth of religious text and historical context, offering a fascinating glimpse into the manuscript culture of the Middle Ages.

For further exploration and detailed information about these remarkable manuscripts, you may refer to the following resources:

Medieval Manuscripts Blog Manuscript Bibles from the Middle Ages