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In the Beginning: Bibles Before the Year 1000

October 21, 2006 - January 7, 2007

Museum: Sackler Gallery

Location: Mezzanines 1 & 2, Northeast Galleries 1 & 2

For the first time, many of the most important codices in the world from the 2nd to 10th centuries are on view. This exhibition examines the emergence of a canonical set of texts, their translation into diverse languages and dissemination over a vast geographical expanse, and the uses and iconic status of the Bible as book. Works on display range from fragments of the earliest papyrus codices to lavishly inscribed manuscripts on purple parchment, beautifully illustrated, and enclosed in elaborately decorated covers.

Catalogue: $45 (cloth); $29 (paper) Audio Guide (fee):

See related article in October 2006 Smithsonian magazine, pp. 27-28.

Online Exhibition