Free registration available at the bottom of the page.
What we’ll talk about together . . .
Session 2 – Who Wrote the Earliest Bibles?
In this session, we’ll explore how people made books in the ancient world. You’ll get to learn how early Christian scribes copied texts by hand, and you’ll learn about some of the earliest surviving pieces of the Bible. We’ll look at:
Tiny fragments like the Rylands Papyrus (P52) and early Christian manuscripts like the Bodmer Papyri (P66)
The earliest Bibles, including the Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Alexandrinus—which give us nearly the entire Bible in Greek!
Session 1 – Ancient Book Culture: An Introduction
Before there were printing presses—or even paper!—books were put together by hand from materials like papyrus and parchment. In this first session, we’ll explore the world of ancient books and bookmaking. You will be introduced to ancient book culture and learn about things like scrolls and codices.
We’ll talk about:
How scribes used different writing surfaces and why
The rise of the codex format and why Christians adopted it so quickly
How texts were preserved and copied
What it meant to read in the ancient world
This session gives you an introduction to the ancient book world, setting the stage for the next three sessions.
Session 3 – How Were the Gospels Passed Down?
Where did we get the Gospels, and how were they copied or preserved throughout the centuries? This session dives into some of the most beautiful and unique manuscripts of the Four Gospels. We’ll talk about:
How books of the Bible were decided and transmitted
The artistry and uniqueness of manuscripts like the Codex Purpureus Petropolitanus, a sixth-century royal Bible written in silver and gold inks on purple-dyed pages of parchment
Session 4 – Illuminated Manuscripts: When Texts Become Art
In this session, we will explore what we call illuminated manuscripts—texts that are decorated with gold leaf, paints and pigments, and fanciful illustrations. Highlights will include:
The Leo Bible, a luxury Bible that features several beautiful, full-page illustrations of biblical scenes
The Menologion of Basil II, a Byzantine calendar of saints and stories combining the church calendar with gorgeous illuminations
Other treasures that show the intersection of faith and art in the Byzantine world
About your instructor
Hi! I’m Cody Barnhart, a PhD candidate at the University of Aberdeen, where I study an early church figure named Clement of Alexandria.
While working on my dissertation, I have also become fascinated by how ancient Greek texts were written, copied, decorated, and passed down. I am especially intrigued by the ways that Christians made creative contributions to the cultures around them.
That curiosity led me to pursue further training, including a course on early Greek handwriting at Oxford University, where I got to handle precious manuscripts at the Bodleian Library. Just this year, I visited the Rare Book & Manuscript Library at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for a workshop on the idea of the “Greek book.” These experiences have changed the way I think about ancient texts—and I’d love to share that experience with you.
If you’re curious about this too, sign up for free using the form above. I think you’ll love the class.
