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

MS. Bodl. 717

Summary Catalogue no.: 2631

Contents

Jerome, Commentary on Isaiah
Rubric: Incipit liber primus sancti Iheronimi presbiteri super Isaiam prophetam ad Eustochium uirginem Christi

The whole treatise in eighteen books, with prologue

At fol. 227 is a marginal note 'hue usque emendatum est'

Language(s): Latin

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: v + 291 leaves
Dimensions (binding): 14.625 × 10.25 in.

Decoration

Pächt and Alexander i. 441, Pl. XXXVI

Fine miniatures by Hugo 'pictor' with his self-portrait on fol. 287v with the title 'Imago pictoris & illuminatoris huius operis'

  • Fol. v verso has a large figure of Isaiah seated within a Byzantine arch, with buildings of a city above.
  • Fol. vi recto is a picture of Jerome writing the roll of his book and Eustochium receiving it, each under a Byzantine arch.
  • fol. vi verso is the Church (?) depicted as a female between Jerome as a scribe and Isaiah, with leonine figures above, and below a burial scene, with profusion of ornament forming an E

Fine historiated initia: fol. 2r represents Christ enthroned with Isaiah exhorting the people to turn to him ('Venite ascendamus ad montem Domini...'), the whole with lacertine ornament making up a V

Other initials chiefly in red, blue and gren

History

Origin: 11th century, end ; France, Jumièges

Provenance and Acquisition

Exeter, Devon, Cathedral church of St Peter: 'Liber Ecclesie Exoniensis de communibus' (s. xiv); cf. fol. vi verso (MLGB3)

Presented by the dean and chapter of Exeter in 1602

Record Sources

Description adapted (August 2023) by Stewart J. Brookes from the Summary Catalogue (1922). Decoration, localization and date follow Pächt and Alexander (1966)

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (43 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Last Substantive Revision

2023-08-07: Description revised to incorporate all the information in the Summary Catalogue (1922)