AUTHOR: TRANSLATED BY BISHOP WULFILA

LANGUAGE: GOTHIC

DATE: 6TH CENTURY

PAGE #: 384

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS:

11.25” x 8.75” STUDY SIZE

14” X 11” LARGE DISPLAY VERSION

FLIP THE PAGE IN OUR DIGITAL LIBRARY

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: THE CODEX ARGENTEUS, ALSO KNOWN AS THE SILVER BOOK OR SILVER BIBLE, IS WRITTEN IN GOLD AND SILVER INK ON STAINED PURPLE VELLUM. THIS CODEX WAS A SERIES OF GOSPELS TRANSLATED FROM GREEK INTO THE GOTHIC LANGUAGE SOMETIME IN THE 4^TH CENTURY BY BISHOP WULFILA, WHO ALSO CREATED THE GOTHIC ALPHABET. THE CODEX ARGENTEUS’ ORIGIN AND AGE WAS UNKNOWN UNTIL SCHOLARS HAD IT CARBON DATED. THROUGH THIS CARBON DATING IT WAS LEARNED THAT THE CODEX PROBABLY CAME FROM RAVENNA, NORTHERN ITALY AREA, AROUND THE EARLY 6^TH CENTURY. DATING LED SCHOLARS TO BELIEVE THE CODEX WAS PROBABLY COMMISSIONED FOR THE OSTROGOTHIC KING THEODERIC THE GREAT. THE CODEX ARGENTEUS IS ONLY COMPRISED OF REMNANTS OF THE FOUR GOSPELS THAT WERE TRANSLATED LEAVING ONLY HALF OF THIS CODEX AVAILABLE.

THIS CODEX IS A TRUE TREASURE TO SCHOLARS AND HISTORIANS ALIKE, AS IT IS THE BEST SURVIVING EXAMPLE OF THE GOTHIC LANGUAGE. THE GOTHIC LANGUAGE IS AN EXTINCT VERSION OF THE GERMANIC LANGUAGE. 187 SURVIVING PAGES OF THE CODEX ARE ON DISPLAY AT THE UPPSALA UNIVERSITY LIBRARY IN SWEDEN. ANOTHER SINGLE LEAF THAT CONTAINS THE FINAL VERSES OF THE GOSPEL OF MARK SURVIVED. IT WAS DISCOVERED IN 1970 ROLLED AROUND A WOODEN STAFF AMONG OTHER RELICS IN THE SPEYER CATHEDRAL IN GERMANY, WHERE THIS PAGE REMAINS.

IN 2011 THE CODEX ARGENTEUS WAS ADDED TO THE LIST OF REGISTERED HERITAGE ITEMS FOR THE UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC, AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (UNESCO).

REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

NOTE: ALL OF OUR FACSIMILES ARE MADE TO ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR NOTIFICATION OF SHIPMENT.