Incomplete manuscript of the Dhammapada in Gandhari and in Kharosthi characters. It may have been copied between the end of the 1st century CE and the end of the 3rd century CE, which makes it the one of the oldest known Indian language documents. Its sheets, in birch bark, reinforced in the direction of the height by a string sewn on each side, are about 20 cm wide. Here fragmentary, originally at least 1.23 m long, they were, after reading, folded in on themselves, thus forming notebooks about 20 cm long and 4 to 5 cm thick. Acquired by the Dutreuil de Rhins mission (1891-1894) in Central Asia. Bibliothèque nationale de France, département des Manuscrits, pali 715-A https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandh%C4%81ran_Buddhist_texts#/media/File:Manuscrit_BnF_pali_715-A.jpg

As a ‘book scientist’ I work with microscopes, imaging technologies and AI to preserve ancient texts

by Christina Dinh Nguyen

theconversation.com/as-a-book-sc...

Old manuscripts at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc...

#books #culturalHeritage #old_manuscripts

The Strasbourg Empedocles papyrus contained over 50 lines from Empedocles' work On Nature that were not published until 1999. Multiple torn, irregular fragments of ancient papyrus, dark brown with age, bearing neat columns of Greek uncial script in black ink. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empedocles#/media/File:Empedokles_fragment_Physika_I_262%E2%80%93300.jpg

Thirty previously unpublished verses by Empedocles discovered on a papyrus from Cairo

by University de Liege

edited by Stephanie Baum, reviewed by Robert Egan

phys.org/news/2026-04...

Empedocles at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc...

#books #literature #old_manuscripts

Greek minuscule, 15th-century manuscript of Aristotle Anonymous - Reproduction in: Franz Steffens, Proben aus grieschischen Handschriften und Urkunden, (Trier: Schaar und Dathe, 1912). The page exemplifies Byzantine minuscule — the cursive, compact Greek script that developed from the 9th century onward and became the dominant manuscript hand of the medieval Greek-speaking world. The most visually striking element is the large ornamental "A" (Alpha) in the upper left — an elaborate headpiece initial decorated with interlacing scrollwork, floral motifs, and foliate patterns in a style characteristic of late Byzantine manuscript illumination. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palaeography#/media/File:Greek_manuscript_minuscule_Aristotle.png

New Project Explores the Craft of Writing in the Medieval Nordic World

www.medievalists.net/2026/03/new-...

Paleography at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje...

#books #paleography #old_manuscripts

Arabic Manuscripts 597. Book of Daniel and Solomon's Proverbs. The image shows two pages of Arabic text written in traditional calligraphy, appearing to be a biblical manuscript. St. Catherine's Monastery houses one of the world's most important collections of ancient manuscripts, including significant Arabic Christian texts. This manuscript represents the Arabic translation tradition of biblical books, important for understanding how scripture was transmitted and read in Arabic-speaking Christian communities. Part of Manuscripts in St. Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai: Microfilm 5014: Arabic (312) Manuscripts in St. Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai (1,691) https://www.loc.gov/resource/amedmonastery.00279390684-ms/?sp=19&st=image

Previously Unknown Medieval Chronicle Discovered

www.medievalists.net/2026/02/prev...

More articles about Maronite Chronicle of 713:
medievalworlds.net/0xc1aa5572_0...

www.academia.edu/145038749/Re...

#books #literature #old_manuscripts

A leaf from the Codex Climaci Rescriptus in the Green Collection. This image shows: Upper layer (darker text): Written in Syriac (a dialect of Aramaic), visible as the black script Under layer (faint, underlying text): The ghostly traces of an earlier text in Christian Palestinian Aramaic (also called Palestinian Syriac), visible as the fainter, brownish text running underneath Two layers: You can see both texts overlapping, with the undertext running in a different direction or angle from the overtext About the Codex Climaci Rescriptus: Undertext (Christian Palestinian Aramaic): Written in the 6th-8th centuries CE Overtext (Syriac): Written later, around the 8th-9th centuries CE or later https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Codex_Climaci_Rescriptus.jpg

X-rays from SLAC's synchrotron reveal star maps in a centuries-old manuscript

www6.slac.stanford.edu/news/2026-01...

Hipparchus at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc...

#books #old_manuscripts #astronomy

First page of Chronicon Pictum, the "Illuminated Chronicle" from the court of King Louis the Great of Hungary from 1358. Main illumination shows: A multi-paneled scene within an elaborate architectural frame Central figure: A crowned king (likely representing Hungarian royalty) seated on a throne Left panel: Armed warriors or knights Right panel: Groups of courtiers or nobles Rich colors: deep blues, reds, golds, and ochres Gothic architectural elements including towers and arches Latin text in two columns Red lettering (rubrics) for important headings and initial words Black text for the main chronicle Beautiful calligraphy in Gothic script https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illuminated_manuscript#/media/File:K%C3%A9pes_kr%C3%B3nika_els%C5%91_lapja.jpg

Over 32,000 medieval manuscripts transcribed in four months using AI

www.medievalists.net/2026/01/3200...

Original paper:
inria.hal.science/hal-05299220

The CoMMA website:
comma.inria.fr/homepage

#books #old_manuscripts

Book of Kells (an illuminated manuscript), Folio 32v, Christ Enthroned. Folio 32v from the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript created circa 800 CE, depicting Christ Enthroned. This masterpiece of Insular art showcases the elaborate Celtic ornamentation, vibrant colors, and intricate geometric patterns characteristic of medieval Irish monastic manuscripts. The page exemplifies the extraordinary artistic achievement of early medieval Ireland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Kells#/media/File:KellsFol032vChristEnthroned.jpg

5 Dazzling Medieval Manuscripts That Have Outlasted Empires

These manuscripts stand out for their artistry, craftsmanship, and historical significance.

by Tim Brinkhof

news.artnet.com/art-world/il...

Old manuscripts at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc...

#archeology #books #old_manuscripts

This scene from the Bayeux Tapestry shows a banquet held by the Norman leaders before the invasion of England. At the center is a long, curved table laden with food—round loaves of bread, bowls, and drinking vessels—around which several Norman figures sit and gesture animatedly. One central figure, dressed as a bishop, raises his hand in a gesture of blessing, indicating that the meal is being formally blessed before it begins. The Latin inscription above the scene refers to this act of blessing. To the sides, attendants prepare and serve food: one cuts meat, another carries dishes, and others hold drinking cups or signal to one another. Beneath the table, a servant hurries forward carrying a large wine vessel, emphasizing the scale of provisioning. Below this register, animals being prepared for food (such as livestock) appear, reinforcing the theme of feasting and supply.

Was the Bayeux Tapestry Made for a Monastic Dining Hall?

www.medievalists.net/2025/12/baye...

Original article:
academic.oup.com/histres/adva...

#books #old_manuscripts #history

Ramon Llull/Raimundus Lullus (1232? - 1316; Encyclopedist) This is a historical engraving of Ramon Llull (also known as Raimundus Lullus), a 13th-14th century Majorcan philosopher, theologian, and encyclopedist (1232?-1316), depicted with flowing beard, ornate Renaissance-era clothing, and pipe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramon_Llull#/media/File:Ramon_Llull.jpg

Six centuries of secularism

When the first ‘how-to’ books began to explain the way the world worked, they paved the way for science and secularism

by William Eamon

aeon.co/essays/six-c...

Secularism at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje...

#books #old_manuscripts #literature

A page of Fibonacci's Liber Abaci from the Biblioteca Nazionale di Firenze showing (in box on right) 13 entries of the Fibonacci sequence: the indices from present to XII (months) as Latin ordinals and Roman numerals and the numbers (of rabbit pairs) as Hindu-Arabic numerals starting with 1, 2, 3, 5 and ending with 377. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Liber_abbaci_magliab_f124r.jpg

Break out the calculators: November 23 is Fibonacci Sequence Day

The cornerstone of modern math wouldn’t be possible without the Hindu-Arabic numerical system.

by Andrew Paul

www.popsci.com/science/fibo...

Fibonacci at PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/searc...

#books #mathematics #old_manuscripts

Pages of the Dresden codex on eclipses . The image shows several adjoining pages of the Dresden Codex, an ancient Maya manuscript. The pages are filled with dense Maya hieroglyphs, numbers, and symbols arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns. Much of the imagery uses black and red ink on a cream-colored, weathered surface. Across the pages are repeating patterns of dot-and-bar numerals, used in Maya calendrical calculations. Interspersed among the glyph blocks are stylized drawings of deities and serpent-like figures, characteristic of Maya cosmology. These particular pages are known for containing astronomical tables related to eclipses, and the highly structured numerical sequences suggest predictive calculations.

Scientists found the key to accurate Maya eclipse tables

Eclipse tables in the Dresden Codex were based on lunar tables and adjusted for slippage over time.

by Jennifer Ouellette

arstechnica.com/science/2025...

Original article
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

#books #old_manuscripts #astronomy

Representation of Titivillus (14th century). The scene shows a scribe seated at a wooden desk, diligently copying a manuscript with a quill pen. He leans over an open book filled with red and black text. Behind him, Titivillus appears as a small, dark, winged creature with a mischievous face, hairy body, and clawed hands. The demon watches him intently. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Titivillus.jpg

Tutivillus Is Watching You

For medieval scribes, mistakes couldn’t be easily shrugged off, as Tutivillus, the stickler demon, was always looking over their shoulders.

By: Amelia Soth

daily.jstor.org/tutivillus-i...

At PG:
www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subje...

#books #old_manuscripts

Book of Kells, Folio 292r, Incipit to John. In principio erat verbum. The page opens with the large, elaborately decorated words IN PRINCIPIO. The “I” and “N” are monumental, filled with complex interlace and spiral motifs. Each letter is not just a character but an artistic composition, heavily ornamented with Celtic knotwork, spirals, animal interlace, and stylized foliage. Rich tones of red, yellow, green, blue, and black are used. Within and around the letters, one can find zoomorphic designs. After the monumental decorated opening, the rest of the text (“erat verbum”) continues in smaller, though still carefully calligraphed, script. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Kells#/media/File:KellsFol292rIncipJohn.jpg

New research may rewrite origins of the Book of Kells, says academic

Author challenges assumption monks on Iona created manuscript, instead positing its origins are Pictish

By Dalya Alberge

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...

#books #old_manuscripts