About the Widener Thirteenth Century Bible

Bible du XIIIe siecle
King David and a Fool

By the workshop of the Master of the Echevinage de Rouen
France, Rouen, c. 1465-75
The Free Library of Philadelphia, Rare Book Department, Widener 2, fol. 290

This is a page from a Bible. The word "Bible" is derived from the Greek word biblia, meaning "books." The earliest sacred Judeo-Christian writings were set down separately, at different times, on scrolls of papyrus or vellum. When these independent elements were bound together, they were called "Bibles."

Bibles of two different types are displayed in the Leaves of Gold exhibition. Large versions intended for communal reading are sumptuous manuscripts written in beautifully decorated and embellished calligraphy. Smaller ones for personal use and study by priests, monks, scholars, and students were less elaborate.

The miniature shows a fool before King David, who is enthroned and surrounded by courtiers. This is the standard illustration for Psalm 52, which begins" "The fool said in his heart: there is no God." The fool wears a pointed yellow hood and hose and tight fitting blue jacket and carries a stick with an image of the fool, the symbol of his profession.

David (died 962 BCE) was king of Judah and Israel and founded the Jewish royal dynasty at Jerusalem. He is said to be an ancestor of Jesus of Nazareth. This page comes from a section of the Bible that is dedicated to the family lineage of Jesus.

The figures surrounding king David are dressed in elegant mid-15th century French garments. They are surrounded by a lavish interior of tiled floors, leaded glass windows, and a gilded throne covered with silk brocade. King David rests his feet on a plush embroidered and jeweled pillow and a silk and gold brocade tapestry is hung in the background. Beyond the pink wall of the courtyard is a refined and cultivated landscape. In the blue sky above, God surrounded by a golden halo watches from Heaven. His right hand is raised in a gesture of blessing and rays of goldenlight shine on the group below. All this in a painting not more than five (5) inches high!

Vellum, i (paper) + 383 fols. +1 )paper)
Folio: 17-7/8 x 12-5/8 inches (453 x 315 mm)
Text: 11-1/2 x 8-3/4 inches (295 x 197 mm)
French, batarde

Leaves of Gold catalog entry #7
Featured on Leaves of Gold CD-ROM

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