The Book of Kells

A copy of the four gospels in Jerome's* Latin Version with prefaces, summaries, and a partial glossary of Hebrew names and their interpretation. The book has 340 leaves, each 13 by 9 1/2 inches of thick glazed parchment. The copy is made with brownish black ink. Many letters are ornamented with an amazing blend of colors, and the first two words, Liber generationis, fill a well- illuminated page. The work was possibly begun at Iona* and finished at Kells at the beginning of the ninth century. Remarkably preserved from loss and damage for seven centuries, it was deposited in the library of Trinity College, Dublin, in 1660. A facsimile was made in 1950.