Old Testament Miniatures with Latin, Persian, and Judeo-Persian inscriptions
France, Paris, 1240s

Scholars believe that the Picture Bible was commissioned by Louis IX of France, the Capetian monarch who built the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris to house the crown of thorns before leaving for the first of his two crusades in 1248. The Bible later passed to the cardinal of Cracow, who then offered it as a diplomatic gift to the great Persian Muslim shah 'Abbas in the early seventeenth century. The manuscript eventually fell into the hands of Jewish owners, probably during the eighteenth century. These various owners left Latin, Persian, and Judeo-Persian inscriptions around the images. With these inscriptions, the keepers of the manuscript used their languages to assert their ownership of the book, appropriating its narrative contents and assimilating it into their own cultures.

The Latin captions are the earliest. They can be labeled as "early fourteenth-century," and were possibly made by a scribe trained in Bologna. The Persian captions come next. They were added in 1608 or shortly after, when the manuscript was presented to Shah Abbas in Isfahan. The Judeo-Persians are last, and according to the translator, they were probably made in 1722 or shortly after, as that year Isfahan was sacked by the Afghans. She supposes that at that time the book was looted by an Afghan soldier and was possibly exchanged with an Iranian Jew.

The Picture Bible is illustrated with saturated colors and exquisite detail. In order to make its lessons relevant to readers, the creators of this Bible set Old Testament stories in contemporaneous environments. For example, depictions of architecture evoke the castles and houses of thirteenth-century French towns and battle scenes are illustrated with thirteenth-century armor, weapons, and battle insignia.

MS M.638 (fol. 12v)

Jael, a Heroine
Sisera, captain of the Canaanite army, has escaped the vengeance of the Israelites. He arrives at the tent of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite, a former ally of his king, Jabin. The thirsty Sisera is given milk to drink and promised protection from his pursuers. As he sleeps, Jael quietly approaches with a hammer and a nail from the tent. Softly, she places the nail on Sisera's forehead and then, strikes. Instantly, he passes from deep sleep to death. In a little while Barak arrives, searching for his enemy, only to discover that Jael has already dealt with this opponent. (Judges 4:17–22)

Gideon, Most Valiant of Men
The Lord again sees fit to punish the children of Israel, for they have set up wooden images to honor the false deity Baal. For seven years, the people suffer the assaults of the Midianites, who rob them of all produce and livestock. Gideon, an Israelite farmer, is threshing wheat when the angel of the Lord calls to him, charging him to deliver Israel from bondage. Gideon and his companions are here dressed as medieval field workers; their flails and rakes imitate contemporary tools. (Judges 6:11–21)

A Sacrifice and a Sign
Gideon requests a sign from the angel of the Lord, confirmation that he has found favor in His sight. As a companion shakes corn in a winnowing-fan, Gideon offers a sacrifice of lamb and broth to the Lord. The angel touches this offering with his staff, and it bursts into flames, assuring Gideon of the Lord's favor. (Judges 6:11–21)

Image courtesy of Faksimile Verlag Luzern, www.faksimile.ch.
Content consultant: Richard Leson