Holy Island has a very special place in history as the birthplace of the Lindisfarne Gospels, among the most celebrated illuminated books in the world. According to an inscription added in the 10th century at the end of the original text, the manuscript was made in honour of God and of St. Cuthbert by Eadfrith, Bishop of Lindisfarne, who died in 721.
Synopsis. The Lindisfarne Gospels, a manuscript produced in the Northumbrian island monastery of Lindisfarne at the end of the seventh century, in honour of Saint Cuthbert, is a relic of early Christianity in England, and one of the nation's greatest treasures. This book makes the glories of the Lindisfarne Gospels accessible to a wide public.
The Lindisfarne Gospels reveal the many cultural influences of the British, Celtic, Germanic, Roman, Early Christian, North African and Middle East. Britain was a blend of many civilizations, with new ways of learning.6 This is when literature and art were chiefly introduced. The Lindisfarne Gospels are illustrations of the new civilization.
Introduction. The Lindisfarne Gospels is a large format, splendidly decorated manuscript presenting the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the first four books of the New Testament, introduced by canon tables, prefatory texts, a capitulary, carpet pages, evangelist portraits with symbols, and large decorated incipits.
Learning About Celts Through Roman Authors The Celts left very little written documentation behind them. What is known about the Celts has been discovered through archaeology and through the writings of Roman authors such as Caesar, Strabo and Tacitus. Caesar wrote about the Celts in his Gallic Wars.
The Lindisfarne Gospels are thought to be by Eadfrith, a monk who became Bishop of Lindisfarne in 698 and died in 721. The Gospels are richly illustrated, and were originally in a fine leather binding covered with jewels and metals. During the Viking raids on Lindisfarne, this cover was lost, and a replacement was made in 1852.