Worms Bible (BL Harley MS 2803 & 2804)

King David playing a harp, Harley MS 2804, f. 3v.

Colloquial name(s): Worms Bible

Official name(s): British Library, Harley MS 2803 & 2804

Date: 3rd quarter of the 12th Century (source) or 2nd-3rd quarter of the 12th Century (source) probably c. 1148 (source and source)

Origin: Middle Rhineland, Central Germany (source), Frankenthal, nr. Worms, Middle Rhineland, Germany (source)

Online facsimile available via: Harley MS 2803 is at British Library Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts and British Library Digitised Manuscripts, Harley MS 2804 is at British Library Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts and British Library Digitised Manuscripts

This 12th Century manuscript is a Bible in two volumes - Harley MS 2803 consists of Genesis to Job (source) and Harley MS 2804 consists of Psalms to Acts 16:17 (source). It is thought that it was possibly written or illuminated in 1148 in the Augustinian abbey of Mary Magdalene in Frankenthal, 10 km south of Worms (source).

Harley MS 2803 contains 1 large miniature in colours-and-gold, 19 very large historiated initials in colours-and-gold, 30 large initials in colours-and-gold, a large zoomorphic initial in colours and four marginal drawings (source).

Harley MS 2804 contains 2 large miniatures in colours-and-gold, several folios of decorated canon tables in colours-and-gold, 5 large historiated initials in colours-and-gold and 41 large initials in colours, occasionally with gold (source).

Basic descriptions of the images are provided by the British Library with the facsimiles.