One of the world’s most famous medieval manuscripts, the lavishly illustrated Book Of Kells, was created in two halves up to 50 years apart
- The manuscript has been housed at Trinity College, Dublin, since 1661 AD
- Dr Bernard Meehan of the university is behind the latest claims about the text
- He analysed handwriting in the Gospel of John to make the stunning findings
A lavishly illustrated copy of the Gospels known as the Book of Kells was created in two halves, according to a leading expert on the text.
One of the world’s most famous medieval manuscripts, it was previously believed to have been created by a single group of monks around 1,200 years ago.
New research suggests that the folio was originally two separate works, with a gap of around half a century before they were joined together.
The author of the original section, the Gospel of St John, is likely to have died from disease or during Viking raids on the monastery where he lived and worked.
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One of the world’s most famous medieval manuscripts was created in two halves, according to a leading expert on the subject. A lavishly illustrated copy of the Gospels known as the Book of Kells was previously believed to have been created by monks around 1,200 years ago
The finding was made by Dr Bernard Meehan of Trinity College, Dublin, where the manuscript has been housed since 1661 AD.
He believes that the final part of the Book of Kells, which contains St John’s Gospel and the first few pages of St Mark’s, was written at a different time to the rest of the work.
This last section, he says, was written and illustrated by a monk at the monastery of St Colum Cille on the Scottish island of Iona, during the last quarter of the eighth century AD.
The rest of St Mark’s Gospel and the Gospels of St Luke and St Matthew were produced 50 years later, according to Dr Meehan's analysis.
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This took place at a new monastery at Kells, in County Meath, Ireland, where the Columban monks took refuge after a Viking raid on Iona.
Researchers previously argues that that work on all four Gospels began on Iona, before being completed over the course of around 30 years at Kells.
Dr Meehan argues that St John's Gospel was intended as a single work, to which the other three gospels were later added.
He examined the handwriting used by the scribe who produced the St John's Gopsel section of the Book of Kells.
New research suggests that the folio was originally two separate works, with a gap of around half a century between their creation, before they were joined together. Almost all of the folios of the Book of Kells contain small illuminations like this decorated initial
The finding was made by Dr Bernard Meehan of Trinity College, Dublin, where the manuscript has been housed since 1661 AD. The folio contains a portrait of John the Evangelist (left) and an image of Christ enthroned (right)
His style was very traditional, which makes it stand out from other parts of the text.
While he completed St John's Gospel, Dr Meehan says that this particular monk's work suddenly stops at the end of chapter four, verse 26, of St Mark’s Gospel.
This may have been intended as the start of another separate, standalone work.
The monk in question may have died during Viking raids on the island of Iona, which began at the turn of the ninth century.
It is also possible he succumbed to an outbreak of disease, possibly smallpox, that hit the monastery in the early part of the ninth century.
WHAT IS THE BOOK OF KELLS?
The Book of Kells manuscript, which eclipsed all other artistic and cultural achievements of the early Middle Ages, was created in around 800 AD by Irish monks to glorify the life of Christ.
It was made from calfskin leaves decorated with elaborate illustrations and Latin calligraphy.
It contains the Latin text of the four Gospels and all but two of the pages are decorated with intricate designs and symbolic imagery.
The Book of Kells manuscript, which eclipsed all other artistic and cultural achievements of the early Middle Ages, was created in around 800 AD by Irish monks to glorify the life of Christ
It is thought it would have taken a team of illustrators up to 30 years to finish.
Three artists seem to have produced the major decorated pages.
A monastery founded around 561 AD by St Colum Cille on Iona, an island off Mull in western Scotland, became the principal house of a large monastic confederation.
In 806 AD, following Viking raids on the island which left 68 of the community dead, the Columban monks took refuge in a new monastery at Kells, County Meath.
An outbreak of disease, possibly smallpox, that hit the monastery in the early part of the ninth century may also have contributed to the move.
The manuscript remained there for almost 700 years, bar one incident when it was stolen and found weeks later without its golden, jewelled cover and with some pages missing.
It came to Trinity College, Dublin, in 1661 AD, and is still on display there today.
The Book of Kells was first started at a monastery on the on Iona, an island off western Scotland. In 806 AD, following a Viking raid, the monks moved to Kells in County Meath, Ireland. The manuscript came to Trinity College, Dublin, in 1661 AD, where it remains
The first mention of this work of art is an the entry in the Annals of Ulster under the year 1007 AD, which records that 'the great Gospel book of Columcille, the chief relic of the western world, was stolen during the night from the great stone church of Cenannus (Kells)'.
During the last century, an ever increasing number of scholars wanted access to the manuscript.
In 1986, Trinity College allowed Facsimile Verlag of Luzern, Switzerland, to photograph the complete manuscript and create a limited edition of 1,480 numbered copies.
Most of these are in libraries around the world.
Why he decided to write the final of the four gospels first speaks to its status in the history of medieval Christianity.
Of the four gospels, John is traditionally believed to have been the only one written by one of the disciples themselves.
John is also privileged as being thought of as Jesus' closest disciple, affording his gospel a higher position than Matthew, Mark and Luke.
Speaking to the Independent, Dr Meehan said: 'We know of four Celtic tradition St John’s Gospel books that survived into early modern or modern times, and I suspect that originally there must have been literally hundreds produced in the seventh and eighth centuries, an indication of just how important that particular gospel was from their perspective.'
Dr Meehan's findings are being published this week in a new guide to the Book of Kells.
Dr Meehan believes that the final part of the Book of Kells, which contains St John’s Gospel and the first few pages of St Mark’s, was written at a different time to the rest of the work. This image shows text from the Gospel of John written by a scribe known as Hand B
Among the detailed illustrations is an image that opens the Gospel of John (left) and the symbols of the Four Evangelists (right). Pictured (Clockwise from top left): a man (Matthew), a lion (Mark), an eagle (John) and an ox (Luke)
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