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Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

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Moralized Bible
France, Paris, between 1227-1234
MS M.240 fol. 3v

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From top to bottom in left and right columns, eight medallions enclose as follows:
Left column:
1A) Apocalypse: Last Resurrection and Judgment -- Beneath clouds, Christ, cross-nimbed, holds open book in each raised hand, and sits on cushioned bench with feet on arc, in mandorla, flanked by twenty-two figures of the dead, some with hands raised, five rising from sea, nine wearing fillets, one wearing hat (?), three falling into Hell Mouth.
Biblical quotation, ET ALIUS LIBER APERTUS EST QUI EST UITE ET IUDICATI SUNT MORTUI EX HIIS QUE SCRIPTA ERANT IN LIBRIS SECUNDUM OPERA IPSORUM from Revelation 20:12;
ET DEDIT MARE MORTUOS QUI IN EO ERANT. ET MORS ET INFERNUS DEDERUNT MORTUOS QUI IN IPSIS ERANT. ET IUDICATUM EST DE SINGULIS S(ECUNDUM) OPERA EORUM from Revelation 20:13.
1B) In church, tonsured cleric, seated, raises right hand toward man wearing hooded garment, with right hand raised to chin and left hand extended, seated with legs crossed;
to right, man, wearing fillet and hooded garment, raises hands toward idol in form of cat on beam (Scene, Pagan); to right, man and five tonsured clerics, three with hands raised to faces, one with moneybag, all stand in Hell Mouth.
Commentary, HOC QUOD MARE REDDIDIT MORTUOS SUOS SIGNIFICAT QUOD GENTES DE MUNDO UT IUDICENTUR DE MUNDO EXIBUNT. ET QUOD INFERNUS ET MORS DEDEDRUNT MORTUOS SIGNIFICAT QUOD DUE GENTES S(UNT) HERETICI ET FALSI CHRISTIANI DAMPNABUNTUR.
2A) Apocalypse: Christ promising New Age -- Beneath clouds, John, nimbed, stands with left hand draped, and right hand raised, beside walled city of Jerusalem descending on clouds.
Biblical quotation, ET UIDI CELUM NOUUM ET TERRAM NOUAM. PRIMUM ENIM CELUM ET TERRA PRIMA ABIIT ET MARE IAM NON EST, from Revelation 21:01;
ET CIUITATEM SANCTAM IERUSALEM NOUAM DESCENDENTEM DE CELO A DEO PARATAM SICUT SPONSAM ORNATAM UIRO SUO, based on Revelation 21:02.
2B) Personification of Church, nimbed, crowned, veiled, with right hand raised and chalice in left hand raised, and Christ, cross-nimbed, with right hand raised in blessing and book with two straps in left hand, both sit on cushioned benches (type of Virgin Mary: Coronation), flanked by two angels, with hands raised, one wearing fillet, both emerging from clouds in row one, two crowned kings with hands raised, and two mitered bishops with hands raised, each group emerging from clouds in row two, and five men with hands raised, emerging from clouds in row three, all surrounded by clouds.
Commentary, RENOUATIO CELI ET TERRE SIGNIFICAT GAUDIUM QUOD ANGELI ET SANCTE ANIME OBTINEBUNT IN RESURRECTIONE ET GLORIFICATIONE CORPORUM. CIUITAS SANCTA IERUSALEM ECCLESIAM SIGNIFICAT. DESCENSUS DE CELO: BONA QUE HABET A DEO.
Right column:
3A) Apocalypse: Christ promising New Age -- Head of Christ, cross-nimbed, emerges from clouds above John, nimbed, raising left hand, beside Christ, cross-nimbed, with right hand raised in blessing and book in left hand, seated with feet on arc in mandorla, beside thirteen men, three with hands raised, all seated between parted tabernacle curtains suspended from rod.
Biblical quotation, ET AUDIUIT UOCEM MAGNAM DE THRONO DICENTEM ECCE TABERNACULUM DEI IN HOMINIBUS ET HABITABIT CUM EIS. ET IPSI POPULUS EIUS ERUNT. ET IPSE DEUS CUM EIS ERIT EORUM DEUS from Revelation 21:03.
3B) Christ, cross-nimbed, with right hand raised in blessing and book in draped left hand, sits on cushioned bench, flanked by four crowned kings with hands raised, emerging from clouds in row one, by three men, possibly apostles, two with hands raised, and three mitered bishops with hands raised, all emerging from clouds in row two, and by two tonsured clerics with hands raised, and two men, wearing fillets, with hands raised, all emerging from clouds in row three, all surrounded by clouds.
Commentary, TABERNACULUM DEI SIGNIFICAT CARNEM IHESU CHRISTI IN QUA ERIT CUM SANCTIS NON SOLUM IN HUMANITATE SED ET(IAM) IN DEITATE. ET HOC EST QUOD CUM EIS ERIT DEUS EORUM.
4A) Apocalypse: Christ promising New Age -- Christ, cross-nimbed, sits with roll (?) in left hand and with right hand extending drapery toward eyes of man with left hand raised, seated beside eight men, two with hands raised, all seated between parted curtains suspended from rod; clouds above and below.
Biblical quotation, ET ABSTERGET DEUS OMNEM LACRIMAM AB OCULIS EORUM. ET MORS ULTRA NEQUE LUCTUS NEQUE CLAMOR NEQUE DOLOR ERIT ULTRA QUE PRIMA ABIERUNT from Revelation 21:04.
4B) Christ: crowning -- Christ, cross-nimbed, sits on cushioned bench, placing crowns on heads of two men with hands raised, each beside crowned man, all emerging from clouds in row one, and below two groups of three crowned men sit with hands raised, emerging from clouds in row two, all surrounded by clouds.
Commentary, HOC QUOD ABSTERGET DEUS OMNEM LACRIMAM AB OCULIS EORUM SIGNIFICAT QUOD HABEBUNT MAGNUM M(ER)ITUM P(RO) TRIBULATIONIBUS Q(UA)S PRO AMORE SUO SUSTINERUNT. QUOD MORS NON ERIT ULTRA: SECURITATEM SIGNIFICAT QUAM HABEBUNT.
Patterned backgrounds and borders.



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