Oldest Illuminated Bible Found in Ethiopia (circa AD 494)

I’m pretty pumped about this. The world’s oldest illustrated Bible has been found…in an Ethiopian Orthodox monastery. The “Garima Gospels” date to AD 494 when Abba Garima arrived from Constantinople and rendered the Gospels into Ge’ez. Legend says that he accomplished this task miraculous in one single day. Carbon dates the manuscript to between AD 330 and 650.

The manuscript is beautifully illustrated and the colors are preserved due to dark storage and the monastery’s high and dry altitude.

Providentially, the Bible will remain at the monastery and not be hurried away to a museum.

HT: Walker Dollahan