Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts

Moralized Bible
France, Paris, between 1227-1234
MS M.240 fol. 6r

	From top to bottom in left and right columns, eight medallions enclose as follows:
	Left column:
	1A) Apocalypse: New Jerusalem -- Within city wall with gate, five men, including one wearing cap and hooded garment, another with right hand hand raised, one holding round object, possibly wafer, and crowned king holding vessel or lamp in right hand, all stand beside Lamb, decorated crossed nimbus.
	Biblical quotation, ET AMBULABUNT GENTES IN LUMINE EIUS ET REGES TERRE AFFERENT GLORIAM SUAM ET HONOREM IN ILLAM from from Revelation 21:24;
	ET CIUITAS NON EGET SOLE NEQUE LUNA LUCERNA ENIM EIUS AGNUS EST based on Revelation 21: 23.
	1B) Christological Scene -- The foremost of group of five tonsured monks, including Franciscan and Dominican, at left raises both hands clasped by monk at right;
	above clouds, two angels, wearing fillets, with hands raised, flank Personification of Church, or Virgin Mary, crowned, veiled, raising hands toward Christ, cross-nimbed, with right hand raised in blessing, and book (?) in left hand.
	Commentary, HOC SIGNIFICAT QUOD IN FINE MUNDI ANNUNCIABITUR RELIGIO ET UANAM GLORIAM INCURUABUNT PROPTER SPEM GLORIE DE SUPERNIS.
	2A) Apocalypse: New Jerusalem -- Six men, stand at left, including two wearing caps, three wearing pointed caps, three with hands raised to their inclined heads, one holding moneybag, and another with sword in left hand and face grasped by man, possibly Christ, at right; all in city.
	Biblical quotation, NEC INTRABIT ALIQUID COINQUINATUM ET FACIENS ABHOMINATIONEM ET MENDACIUM NISI QUI SCRIPTI SUNT IN LIBRO UITE ET AGNI, based on Revelation 21:27.
	2B) Apocalypse: Illustration -- Six (?) men, representing Jews, five wearing pointed caps, one with head draped and holding moneybag, and three with hands raised to inclined heads, stand toward left, and four tonsured monks standing toward right, one holding book, and another with hands raised, all approach clouds above which seven souls of the Elect, six crowned, are emerging.
	Commentary, HOC QUOD NICHIL IMMUNDUM INTRABIT IN ILLAM NISI QUI SCRIPTI SUNT IN LIBRO UITE ET AGNI SIGNIFICAT QUOD SOLUM ILLI INTRABUNT QUI SUAM UITAM CONFORMANT UITE IHESU CHRISTI.
	Right column:
	3A) Apocalypse: River of Life -- Beside John, nimbed, wearing fillet, with right hand on breast, nimbed angel, wearing fillet, raises right hand toward God (inscribed), cross-nimbed, raising right hand in blessing, and with left hand holding open book, seated on cushioned bench with Lamb lying on His lap and with His feet on river, flanked by three trees, within city wall.
	Biblical quotation, ET OSTENDIT MICHI FLUMEN AQUE UIUE SPLENDIDUM TAMQUAM CRISTALLUM PROCEDENS DE SEDE DEI ET AGNI IN MEDIO PLATEE EIUS, based on Revelation 22:01-02.
	3B) Scene, Liturgical: Baptism -- One of two tonsured clerics holds two vessels on tray,, and the other with open book in left hand raises right hand toward six nude men, two with hands raised, all in font, beside woman and man, both wearing hats;
	above, man, crowned, nimbed male saint, with left hand grasped by right hand of nimbed bishop saint, wearing miter, and tonsured and nimbed cleric saint, all with hands raised, emerge from clouds.
	Commentary, PER FLUMEN AQUE UIUE SIGNIFICAT GAUDIUM QUOD NUNQUAM CESSABIT QUIA PER AQUAM BAPTISMI ACQUIRITUR GLORIA CLELESTIS GAUDII.
	4A) Apocalypse: River of Life -- God, cross-nimbed, with right hand raised in blessing and open book in left hand, sits on cushioned bench with Lamb on lap, flanked by two trees from which leaves are falling on five men, two eating to of the leaves, all seated beside river. Scene within city wall and city gate with open portals.
	Biblical quotation, ET EX UTRAQUE PARTE FLUMINIS LIGNUM UITE AFFERENS FRUCTUS .XII. PAR MENSES SINGULOS REDDENS FRUCTUM SUUM ET FOLIA LIGNI AD SANITATEM GENTIUM from Revelation 22:02.
	4B) Apocalypse: Illustration -- Beneath clouds, two of eight men, including three wearing hooded garments, raise hands toward prophet (inscribed as convert), wearing pointed cap, with cross raised in right hand and scroll in left hand, nimbed apostle (inscribed), bald and bearded (type of Apostle Paul) with cross raised in right hand and book in left hand.
	Commentary, HOC QUOD LIGNUM UITE REDDIT SINGULIS MENSIBUS FRUCTUM SIGNIFICAT QUOD PER PATRIARCHAS ET PROPHETAS ET APOSTOLOS MULTI AD FIDEM CONUERSI SUNT. FOLIA ARBORIS SIGNIFICANT MANDATA IHESU CHRISTI.
	Patterned backgrounds and borders.

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