What are the Lindisfarne Gospels?

The Lindisfarne Gospels is an illuminated manuscript of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The main text is a Latin version of Saint Jerome's Vulgate which is a widespread late fourth century revision of the Latin Bible.

The Lindisfarne Gospels were most likely created for ceremonial use in honor of St. Cuthbert, the most notable saint of its namesake island. They are considered to be the finest example of Hiberno-Saxon art and one of the world’s great masterpieces of illuminated manuscripts.

---

Contents

There are 259 pages in the Gospels, each one made of vellum. Most of the pages are devoted to the text of the Gospels, with sparse patches of ornamentation.

Fifteen lavishly decorated pages mark the major divisions of the book; each of the gospels is preceded by three wonderfully decorated pages. The first (the "title page") represents the evangelist with his traditional symbols. The next page, usually called a "carpet page", is an intricate design without words. And finally in the sequence each gospel has an "initial page", in which there is a splendid decorated initial capital for the evangelist's name and the opening words of the gospel are also decorated.

Title page of St. Luke

Carpet page of St. Luke

Initial page of St. Luke

---

Other additional decorated pages include an extra page to mark the beginning of the Christmas Gospel for Matthew. A further carpet and initial page to introduce the St. Jerome's letter to Pope Damasus. There are also sixteen decorated tables listing canonical books of the Bible.

Title page for the Christmas Gospel of Matthew

Canon page

---

Forward to Where did they come from?

Back to the Lindisfarne Gospels