A catalogue of Western manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries and selected Oxford colleges

MS. Bodl. 707

Summary Catalogue no.: 2608

Contents

Gregory the Great, Homiliae in Ezechielem
Rubric: Incipit liber primus Omeliarum beati Gregorii papae urbis Romae in primam partem Ezechielis prophetae quae sunt numero duodecim

With prologue to Marinianus (fol. ii verso)

Incipit: Dei omnipotentis (fol. 1)

Fol. 91v: 'Incipit liber secundus Omeliarum ... in extremam partem Ezechielis prophetę. (quę sunt) numero decem'

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: ii + 177 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 11.875 × 8.25 in.

Condition

Stained with damp and in poor condition and injured at beginning

Decoration

Pächt and Alexander i. 445, pl. XXXVI

One fine initial

Many good initials

C. R. Dodwell, The Canterbury School of Illumination, 1066-1200 (Cambridge University Press, 1954), p. 117, identifies MS. Bodl. 707 as one of a group of Exeter manuscripts from the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries which are illuminated in the 'Carilef' style that is associated with the Norman books given to Durham by William of St Carilef, e.g. the Carilef Bible (Durham Cathedral Library, MS. A. II. 4). The other manuscripts from Dodwell's group are MS. Bodl. 301, MS. Bodl. 783, and MS. Bodl. 813 [NB: Dodwell lists MS. Bodl. 701 but must have intended MS. Bodl. 707]

Pächt and Alexander note similarities to Durham Cathedral Library, MS. B. III. 16 (digitised) and to related manuscripts from Jumièges, St. Ouen, Rouen, and Bayeux. Perhaps written by Normans in England

History

Origin: 11th century, end ; France

Provenance and Acquisition

Exeter, Devon, Cathedral church of St Peter: "Iste est liber Ecclesie Cathedralis Exonie" (s. xiv); catalogue of 1327 (MLGB3)

Presented by the Dean and Chapter of Exeter in 1602

Record Sources

Description adapted (January 2023) by Stewart J. Brookes from the Summary Catalogue (1922), with additional reference to published literature as cited. Decoration, localization and date follow Pächt and Alexander (1973)

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (5 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2023-01-30: Description revised to incorporate all the information in the Summary Catalogue (1922)