Walters Ms. W.733, Psalter

W.733

Psalter

Psalter with marginal miniatures

This manuscript, illustrated with 155 marginal paintings, is one the few surviving “marginal psalters,” in which images provide a pictorial commentary on the Biblical text. Other examples include the Khludov Psalter (ca. 850 CE, Moscow, State Historical Museum, Muz. 129), the Barberini Psalter (ca. 1050 CE, Vat. Barb. Gr. 372), the Theodore Psalter (1066 CE, London, British Library, Add. Ms. 19,352), and a Cyrillic psalter made in Kiev (1397 CE, Saint Petersburg, National Library of Russia, cod. OLDP, F6). The Walters' psalter was apparently copied from the same eleventh-century model as the Saint Petersburg manuscript, as the iconography of the two is very similar.

Ca. 1300 CE; 16th century CE (fols. 22 and 96)

Eastern Mediterranean

Book

Scriptural

The primary language in this manuscript is Greek, Ancient (to 1453).

Parchment

Medium-weight parchment

Foliation: 102

No flyleaves; modern pencil foliation, upper right corners, rectos

Formula: Undetermined

Catchwords: None

Signatures: Sixteenth-century (?), in the center of the lower margin of some quires' last pages

Comments: Unbound, incomplete

17.2 cm wide by 21.6 cm high

fols. 1r - 21v; 23r - 95v; 97r - 102v: 8.5 cm wide by 13.6 cm high

fols. 22r - 22v; 96r - 96v: 8.5 cm wide by 14.0 cm high

fols. 1r - 21v; 23r - 95v; 97r - 102v:

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 23-28

fols. 22r - 22v; 96r - 96v:

1. Columns: 1
2. Ruled lines: 19

fols. 1r - 21v; 23r - 95v; 97r - 102v:

1. Title: Psalter with marginal miniatures
2. Contents: Psalms 28:5–34:4, 34:20–44:14, 45:10–47:4, 49:8–50:12, 51:6–52:5, 60:9-63:2, 67:13-67:26, 68:26–70:7, 71:17-72:13, 72:27–89:17, 90:13–95:9, 96:8–105:20, 105:47–106:26, 106:41–118:63, 118:92–120:7
3. Text note: The numbering of the Psalms is that of the Greek Old Testament (the Septuagint)
4. Decoration note: Decorated with 145 marginal miniatures; fifty-five ornamented initial letters; rubrics and drawings in red; text in brown ink

fols. 22r - 22v; 96r - 96v:

1. Title: Replacement leaves
2. Contents: Psalms 44:14–45:10, 118:63–118:77
3. Text note: Two leaves added in the sixteenth century to fill losses in original manuscript

fol. 1r:

1. 
2. Title: David Drawn from Hades by an Angel
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 28:5-29:4
5. Comment:

   The picture here illustrates the psalm verse (marked with three red dots in the text, toward the bottom of the page) "O Lord, you brought up my soul from Hades" (NETS). Hades (Hell) is personified by a monstrous giant. An angel is pulling out a man (perhaps King David, the psalm's author) by his arms .

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 2r:

1. 
2. Title: Two Sainted Priests Praying to God
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalms 29:13-30:8
5. Comment:

   The lower of these two scenes illustrates the verse (marked with red dots) "But as for me, I hoped in the Lord; I will rejoice and be glad in your mercy, because you looked upon my humiliation." A saint clad in bishop's garments in shown raising his hands in prayer toward Christ. The medallion in which God is portrayed symbolically represents Heaven. A similar scene is repeated above, possibly with reference to the verse "so that my glory may make music to you" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 3r:

1. 
2. Title: Christ Addresses David
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 30:16-23
5. Comment:

   God, represented as Jesus Christ, is shown here addressing King David, the author of the Psalms. This illustrates the verse "Shine your face upon your slave; save me in your mercy." The lower right corner of the page probably contained images of two falling demons, now erased, which corresponded to the verse (marked with three red dots in the text): "May the impious be shamed and be brought down to Hades" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/

fol. 3v:

1. 
2. Title: A Deacon and Two Priests below Christ
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 30:23-31:5
5. Comment:

   The miniature shows three clerics: one dressed as a deacon, the other two as bishops. This seems to correspond to the first word of the adjacent psalm: "Blessed (are those...)."

fol. 4r:

1. 
2. Title: David Addresses a Group of Men; A Horse and a Mule
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalms 31:5-32:1
5. Comment:

   The verses to which the two images here correspond are not marked in the text. The picture above shows King David talking to a group of Jews (recognizable from their headscarves) and probably corresponds to the words "I will instruct and teach you in this way in which you should go." The two equine animals below (redrawn in ink by a later hand) evidently illustrate the verse "Do not be like horse and mule, who have no understanding" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/

fol. 4v:

1. 
2. Title: Three Saints
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 32:1-11
5. Comment:

   The three men in this miniature hold crosses that identify them as martyrs. These are probably the righteous mentioned in the first verse on this page: "Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous..." (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/

fol. 5r:

1. 
2. Title: Potiphar Sending Joseph to Prison
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 32:11-20
5. Comment:

   The meaning of this image becomes clear from a comparison with a Russian psalter (Saint Petersburg, National Library of Russia, Ms. OLDP F.6), where fol. 43r contains an identical scene with explanatory inscriptions: Potiphar is ordering a soldier to put Joseph into prison (Genesis 39:20). The verse illustrated (marked with three dots in the text) is "Look, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, those who hope in his mercy" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/

fol. 5v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ Addresses the Poor Man
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 32:20-33:7
5. Comment:

   "Jesus Christ," "a poor man"

   Later inscriptions in black ink identify the figures here as "Jesus Christ" and "a poor man," referring to the verse "This poor one cried, and the Lord listened to him" (NETS). However, a line connects the figure of Christ to the words "and let us exalt his name together" in the text.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/

fol. 6v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ Blessing a Tomb; David Praying to Christ; An Angel Punishing David's Enemies
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalms 33:18-34:4
5. Comment:

   A line connects the miniature above to the words "the Lord will guard all their bones" (NETS). Jesus Christ blesses from heaven a canopy-covered tomb. The second scene, below, evidently illustrates the beginning of the adjacent psalm: "Render judgement, O Lord, on those who do me wrong; fight against those who fight against me!" (NETS). King David prays to God for help, and an angel punishes his enemies.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 7r:

1. 
2. Title: David Praying to God
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 34:20-27
5. Comment:

   An image of David, in royal dress, praying to God (represented as Jesus Christ) illustrates the verse "O Lord, do not be far from me!" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 8r:

1. 
2. Title: David Venerates the Cross; A Bishop Saint
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalms 35:10-36:3
5. Comment:

   The image of David praying to an image of Christ superimposed upon a cross probably corresponds to the first verse on the page: "because with you is life's fountain" (NETS). The cross is traditionally termed "a fount (or source) of life." Below is a largely re-inked image of a bishop saint, whose precise connection to the first verses of Psalm 36 is unclear.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 9r:

1. 
2. Title: A Sinner Persecuting a Righteous Man; The Sinners Shooting with Bows and Arrows
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalm 36:9-14
5. Comment:

   The image above probably illustrates the verse "the sinner will closely watch the righteous." The picture below corresponds to the words (marked with three blue dots) "they bent their bow" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 9v:

1. 
2. Title: An Angel Punishing the Sinners
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 36:14-22
5. Comment:

   The prostrate men punished by a spear-wielding angel must be the sinners mentioned in Psalm 36, on the same page.

fol. 10r:

1. 
2. Title: A Saint Giving Alms
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 36:22-28
5. Comment:

   The image here evidently illustrates the words "all day long he is merciful and lends" (NETS). The "righteous man" of the psalm is represented by a bishop saint.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 10v:

1. 
2. Title: David Pointing to a Tree
3. Form: marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 36:28-34
5. Comment:

   This image probably illustrates a verse found on the facing page: "I saw an impious one being highly lifted up and being raised up like the cedars of Lebanon" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included Under that Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/

fol. 11r:

1. 
2. Title: A Man Holding a Moneybag and a Snake
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 36:34-40
5. Comment:

   The person holding a snake and a money-bag (?) is evidently the impious man in "I saw an impious one being highly lifted up" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 11v:

1. 
2. Title: A Martyr Dragged by a Horse
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 36:40-37:7
5. Comment:

   In Eastern Orthodox usage the psalter is divided into "sessions" ("kathismata" in Greek). The rubric next to the title of Psalm 37 on this page marks the end of the fifth "session."

   The man dragged by a horse in this image seems to refer to the verses "There is no healing in my flesh from before your wrath; there is no peace from my bones from before my sins..." (NETS). The saint represented may be Eleutherius, a second-century pope of Rome who was martyred in a similar manner; compare also W.521, fol. 50v.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 12r:

1. 
2. Title: Job and His Friends on the Rubbish Heap
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 36:7-13
5. Comment:

   "My friends and my fellows approached opposite me and stood" (NETS), reads the verse to which this image is connected by a red line. One sees Job seated on the rubbish heap (Job 2:8) and visited by his three friends (Job 2:11), who according to the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible were kings. In this miniature, they are identified as such by their attire and by a labeling inscription above their heads.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 13r:

1. 
2. Title: David between Two Men and God
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 37:20-38:5
5. Comment:

   It is unclear how precisely this miniature corresponds to the first verses of the adjacent Psalm 38.

fol. 13v:

1. 
2. Title: The Rich Laying up Treasures
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 38:5-11
5. Comment:

   A man "lays up treasures and does not know for whom he will gather them" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 14r:

1. 
2. Title: Peter's Repentance
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 38:11-39:3
5. Comment:

   "Saint Peter"

   A line connects the image to the words "do not pass by my tears in silence" (NETS); compare Matthew 26:75; Mark 14:72; Luke 22:62.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 15r:

1. 
2. Title: A Bishop Saint Praying to God
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 39:8-13
5. Comment:

   The verse illustrated here is probably "Your righteousness I did not hide in my heart; of your truth and your deliverance I spoke" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/

fol. 16r:

1. 
2. Title: A Saint Giving Alms
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 39:18-40:7
5. Comment:

   "Happy is he who considers the poor and needy" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/

fol. 16v:

1. 
2. Title: Judas and the High Priests
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 40:7-13
5. Comment:

   This miniature is paralleled by one on fol. 56v of Saint Petersburg, National Library of Russia, Ms. OLDP F.6. The scene of Judas betraying Christ to the high priests reads "his heart gathered lawlessness to himself; he would go outside and talk" (NETS). The haloes round the high priests' heads are a later addition by someone who misunderstood the image.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/

fol. 17r:

1. 
2. Title: David Praying to God; A Deer Drinking Water
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 40:14-41:5
5. Comment:

   The image above refers to the verse "But as for you, O Lord, have mercy on me." The one below illustrates the figural comparison "Just as the doe longs for the springs of water, so my soul longs for you, O God" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/

fol. 17v:

1. 
2. Title: David Praying to God; The River Jordan
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 41:5-10
5. Comment:

   The image of the river Jordan, personified by a man pouring water out of a jar, refers to the verse (marked with three red dots) "therefore I shall remember you from a land of Jordan" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/

fol. 18r:

1. 
2. Title: A Stylite Saint
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 41:10-42:3
5. Comment:

   The Stylites were extreme ascetics, spending their lives in seclusion and prayer on top of a high pillar. Many of them attained sainthood. It is not clear how the image here relates to the text of the adjacent psalm.

fol. 18v:

1. 
2. Title: God, the Sons of Kore, and Their Fathers
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 42:3-43:4
5. Comment:

   The title identifies the sons of Kore as authors of the adjacent psalm. The image illustrates its beginning: "O God, we heard with our ears; our fathers reported to us a deed which you wrought in their days" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 20v:

1. 
2. Title: David Venerating an Altar
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 43:23-44:3

fol. 21r:

1. 
2. Title: The King of Israel Subduing Peoples
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 44:3-8
5. Comment:

   The miniature illustrates the adjacent words "peoples shall fall under you" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 23r:

1. 
2. Title: The Nations Clapping Their Hands; The Ascension of Christ
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalms 45:10-46:6
5. Comment:

   The two miniatures illustrate the Psalm verses "All you nations, clap your hands" and "God went up with shouting" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 23v:

1. 
2. Title: A Man Smoking a Pipe
3. Form: Marginal drawing
4. Text: LXX Psalms 46:6-47:4
5. Comment:

   This drawing of a man smoking a pipe has nothing to do with the psalm text. It was added to the manuscript most probably in the eighteenth century, when tobacco smoking had become widespead.

fol. 24r:

1. 
2. Title: The Sacrifice of Isaac
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 49:8-15
5. Comment:

   The miniature evidently illustrates God's words (quoted in the adjacent psalm text) "Not for your sacrifices will I rebuke you; nay, your whole burnt offerings are continually before me" (NETS); compare Genesis 22:2.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 25r:

1. 
2. Title: The Penitence of David
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 49:21-50:6
5. Comment:

   The miniature shows David's rebuke by Nathan and subsequent penitence (2 Samuel 11:2-12:24). The adjacent Psalm 50 was, according to its title, composed by David on that occasion.

fol. 26v:

1. 
2. Title: Christ Observes from Heaven a Man Giving Alms
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 51:11-52:5
5. Comment:

   The miniature illustrates the verse "God peered down from the sky on the sons of men to see if there was any who had understanding or who sought after God" (NETS).

fol. 27r:

1. 
2. Title: The Evangelist Matthew; Judas Receiving the Thirty Pieces of Silver
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 60:9-61:7
5. Comment:

   "Matthew," "Judas"

   The lower miniature illustrates the verse "But they planned to impugn my honor. They ran with a lie" (NETS). The Greek word for "honor" also means "price," hence the depiction of Judas receiving the payment for his betrayal. The Evangelist Matthew is probably portrayed as the author of Matthew 26:14-15.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 28r:

1. 
2. Title: David Praying in a Cave; David's Enemies Attacked by Foxes in a Cave
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalms 61:13-62:7
5. Comment:

   The miniature above illustrates the whole of Psalm 62, which was, according to its title, composed in the wilderness of Judea while David was hiding from Saul (1 Samuel 23:14-15, 24:1-3). The one below evidently refers to the words found on the next page (f. 28v): "But they sought my soul for no good reason; they shall enter into the deepest parts of the earth; they shall be given over to a sword’s power; prey for foxes they shall be" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 28v:

1. 
2. Title: David Shrinks from a Soldier
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 62:7-63:2
5. Comment:

   The miniature illustrates the words "from fear of an enemy deliver my soul" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 29r:

1. 
2. Title: Jacob's Dream
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 67:13-19
5. Comment:

   "Jacob," "Ladder"

   A line connects the mountain in the miniature to the words "the mount which God was pleased to live in." (NETS). The labeling inscription further identifies the mountain as the ladder that Jacob saw in his dream (Genesis 28:12). The image of the Virgin with the Child upon her chest points to the Incarnation, through which heaven and earth were linked.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 30v:

1. 
2. Title: A Fortified City; Two Men Praying at an Altar
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalms 68:33-69:2
5. Comment:

   A line connects the image to the verse "and the cities of Judea will be built" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 31v:

1. 
2. Title: A Bishop Saint Praying to God
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 70:1-7
5. Comment:

   The verse illustrated here is possibly "because you are my endurance, O Lord" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/

fol. 32r:

1. 
2. Title: David Pointing to God Above; David Pointing to Heaven
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 71:17-72:5
5. Comment:

   The two images evidently correspond to the Psalm verses "Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things" and "How good is God to Israel, to the upright in heart!" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 32v:

1. 
2. Title: The Mouths of the Blasphemers
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 72:6-13
5. Comment:

   The image illustrates the verse "They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues ranged over the earth" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 33v:

1. 
2. Title: The Burning of the Nikomedeian Martyrs
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 73:4-10
5. Comment:

   The verse "They set on fire your sanctuary with fire" (NETS) is illustrated with the burning of twenty thousand Christians in the city of Nikomedeia at the order of the Roman emperor Maximian. (Compare an identical illustration in London, British Library, Add. Ms. 19352, fol. 95v, where the image carries an explanatory inscription: http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.aspx?ref=add_ms_19352_f095v). By mistake, the pagan emperor and persecutor of Christians has been given a halo by the artist.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 34r:

1. 
2. Title: The Crucifixion; The Baptism of Christ
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 73:10-17
5. Comment:

   "Crucifixion," "Mother of God," "John," "Satan"

   Lines connect the two images to the verses "He [God] worked deliverance in the midst of the earth" and "you shattered the heads of the dragons upon the water; it was you who crushed the heads of the dragon" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 34v:

1. 
2. Title: Two Men Praying
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 73:17-23
5. Comment:

   The verse illustrated here is "the poor and needy will praise your name" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

Fragment 34r:

1. 
2. Title: Crucifixion
3. Form: marginal miniature
4. Comment:

   This paper patch was used to repair folio 34r, from which the image of Christ crucified had been cut out.

fol. 35v:

1. 
2. Title: Sinners Punished by an Angel
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 74:8-75:4
5. Comment:

   This image illustrates the metaphor at the end of the verse "I said to those who break the law, 'Do not break the law,' and to those that sin, 'Do not raise a horn; do not lift up your horn on high'" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 36r:

1. 
2. Title: A Drowsy Horseman
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 75:5-12
5. Comment:

   The original, undamaged state of this leaf probably icluded a second image of a horseman. The miniature illustrates the verse "At your rebuke, O God of Iakob, those mounted on horses became drowsy" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

Fragment 36r:

1. 
2. Title: Jesus Christ Blessing David (?)
3. Form: Marginal drawing
4. Text: Parts of LXX Psalm 75:7-10
5. Comment:

   "Jesus Christ"

   This piece of paper was added as replacement for a section of the parchment leaf that had been cot out together with the image on it. The restorer evidently had no clear idea what had been lost, so he supplied a generic image of Christ blessing a crowned man, probably King David.

Fragment 36v:

1. 
2. Title: Joasaph
3. Form: Marginal drawing
4. Text: Parts of LXX Psalm 76:2-6
5. Comment:

   "Joasaph"

   The piece of paper with this drawing was added to repair damage in the original manuscript. Joasaph is probably one of the protagonists of the hagiographical story of Barlaam and Joasaph (a Christianized version of the life of Buddha). The author of the drawing confused him with Asaph, the author of the psalm that begins next to the drawing.

fol. 37v:

1. 
2. Title: Moses and Aaron Leading the Israelites
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 76:14-21
5. Comment:

   "Aaron," "Moses"

   The verse illustrated here is "You guided your people like sheep by the hand of Moyses and Aaron" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 38r:

1. 
2. Title: Christ Enthroned; Moses Teaches the Law to the Jews
3. Form: Unfinished headpiece; marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 77:1-4
5. Comment:

   "The law..." (on the scroll held by Moses)

   Psalm 77 open the second half of the psalter. Its beginning on this page was meant to have been marked with a headpiece. The image of Christ refers to the verse "Pay attention, O my people, to my law" (God is addressing His people). Below, a beardless man (probably Moses) displays the text of the Law to a group of seated Jews (identifiable as such by their headscarves).

fol. 39r:

1. 
2. Title: The Crossing of the Red Sea
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 77:8-15
5. Comment:

   This is an illustration of the verse "He broke asunder a sea and brought them through" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 39v:

1. 
2. Title: Moses Striking Water from the Rock
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 77:15-21
5. Comment:

   This is an illustration of the verse "And he brought out water from a rock" (NETS); compare Exodus 17:6.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under that Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 40r:

1. 
2. Title: The Bread of Angels; The Gathering of Quails; The Gathering of Manna
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 77:21-29
5. Comment:

   The three scenes here illustrate the verses (marked in the text) "Bread of angels man ate," "and he rained upon them flesh like dust and winged birds like the sand of seas," "and he rained down manna for them to eat" (NETS); compare Exodus 16:2-35.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 41v:

1. 
2. Title: The Plagues of Egypt
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 77:43-49
5. Comment:

   The verses illustrated by these miniatures are "And he turned their rivers into blood" and "And he gave their crops over to the rust;" compare Exodus 7:20. The three distressed men in the lower margin are Pharaoh and two of his subjects. Strangely, the verses marked in the text are "He sent a dog-fly among them, and it devoured them," "He killed their vine with hail" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 42r:

1. 
2. Title: The Crossing of the Red Sea
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 77:49-55
5. Comment:

   The image corresponds to the psalmist's words "their enemies a sea covered" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 43v:

1. 
2. Title: Mount Sion; David Praying to God; The Sack of Jerusalem
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalms 77:68-78:1
5. Comment:

   The first miniature illustrates the words (marked in the text) "Mount Sion, which he [God] loved." David points up to the Virgin and Child with the dove of the Holy Spirit descending upon them: the Mountain of the Lord is treated as a symbol of the Incarnation. Below, the sack of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (2 Kings 24:8-10) refers to the adjacent verse "O God, nations came into your inheritance; they defiled your holy shrine" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 45r:

1. 
2. Title: God Enthroned among Cherubim; Four Saints
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalms 78:12-79:4
5. Comment:

   The image above corresponds to the words "You who sit upon the cheroubin, appear!" (NETS). The men below are possibly Joseph, King Manasseh, Ephraim, and Benjamin (all mentioned in the psalm's opening verses).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 45v:

1. 
2. Title: The Vine of the Lord; God Speaking to David
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalm 79:4-11
5. Comment:

   The image illustrates literally the metaphor "A vine you transferred from Egypt; you threw out nations and planted it. You cleared the way for it, and you planted its roots and it filled the land. Its shade covered mountains, and its tendrils the cedars of God; it sent out its branches as far as the sea, and as far as the river its shoots" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 46v:

1. 
2. Title: Three Hierarchs
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 79:18-80:6

fol. 47r:

1. 
2. Title: Joseph Serving Potiphar
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 80:6-13
5. Comment:

   The image illustrates the words (referring, in the Greek text, to Joseph) "he removed his back from burdens; his hands slaved at the basket" (NETS); compare Genesis 39:1. The woman seated on the right is evidently Potiphar's wife (Genesis 39:7).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 47v:

1. 
2. Title: Asaph (?) Pointing to God; A Bishop Saint Giving Alms
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalms 80:13-81:3
5. Comment:

   The man portrayed above is probably Asaph, mentioned in the adjacent psalm title. The scene below corresponds to the verses "Give justice to orphan and poor; of lowly and needy maintain the right" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 49v:

1. 
2. Title: A Tree with Birds
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 82:18-83:6
5. Comment:

   The verse illustrated here is "Indeed, a sparrow found itself a home, and a turtle-dove a nest for herself, where she will lay her young" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 50v:

1. 
2. Title: Two Monastic Saints
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 83:12-84:6
5. Comment:

   The two saints' figures probably correspond to the adjacent verse "The Lord will not withhold good things from those who walk in innocence" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 51r:

1. 
2. Title: The Visitation
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 84:6-13
5. Comment:

   The image of Mary and Elisabeth embracing (Luke 1:39-41) corresponds to the psalm verse "Mercy and truth met; righteousness and peace kissed" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 51v:

1. 
2. Title: A Poor Man Praying to God
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 84:13-85:6
5. Comment:

   The miniature illustrates the opening verse of the nearby psalm: "Incline your ear, O Lord, and hearken to me, because poor and needy I am" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 52r:

1. 
2. Title: The Nations Doing Obeisance to God
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 85:6-13
5. Comment:

   The verse that this miniature illustrates reads "All the nations, as many as you made, shall come and do obeisance before you, O Lord" (NETS). Note the exotic hats worn by some of the bowing men.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 52v:

1. 
2. Title: David Praying; The Cross on Golgotha
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 85:13-86:2
5. Comment:

   The image of the cross corresponds to the psalmist's words "His foundations are on the holy mountains" (NETS). The God of the Old Testament is here visibly identified with Jesus Christ.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 53r:

1. 
2. Title: David before the City of Sion
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 86:2-87:3
5. Comment:

   The verse illustrated here can be translated as "'Mother Sion', a man will say. And a man was born in it." The gate represents the city of Jerusalem; the person born "in it" (i.e. through the Virgin Mary) is Jesus Christ.

fol. 53v:

1. 
2. Title: A Monastic Saint
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 87:3-9
5. Comment:

   It is not clear what verse the miniature illustrates. The text immediately next to it reads: "Incline your ear to my petition, because my soul was full of troubles and my life drew near to Hades" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 54v:

1. 
2. Title: Solomon and David Praying to God
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 87:16-88:5
5. Comment:

   The images of David and his son illustrate the verse "I swore to Dauid my slave: 'Forever I will provide offspring for you and will build your throne for generation and generation'" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 55v:

1. 
2. Title: The Transfiguration of Christ
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 88:11-17
5. Comment:

   A line connects the miniature to the verse "Thabor and Hermon will rejoice in your name" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 56r:

1. 
2. Title: David Anointed by Samuel
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 88:17-24
5. Comment:

   This image illustrates the Psalm verses "I found Dauid my slave; with my holy oil I anointed him" (NETS); compare 1 Samuel 15:1.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 57r:

1. 
2. Title: God Blessing David and Solomon
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 88:31-37
5. Comment:

   The psalm verse illustrated by this miniature: "His [David's] seed shall remain forever, and his throne is like the sun before me" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 57v:

1. 
2. Title: The Sun and the Moon
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 88:37-44
5. Comment:

   "Sun," "Moon"

   "and his [David's] throne is like the sun before me, and like the moon, established forever" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 58v:

1. 
2. Title: A King Praying to God on a Mountain
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 88:51-89:5
5. Comment:

   The title of the adjacent psalm identifies Moses as its author, but the miniature nonetheless portrays a king who resembles David.

fol. 59r:

1. 
2. Title: An Old Man
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 89:5-10
5. Comment:

   The image of an old man illustrates the verse "The days of our years—in them are seventy years, but if in acts of dominance eighty years" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 60r:

1. 
2. Title: A Bishop Saint
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 90:13-91:5
5. Comment:

   The image of a cleric possibly refers to confession, in correspondence with the verse "It is good to make confession to the Lord."

fol. 63r:

1. 
2. Title: Two Novices Striking Semantra
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 93:18-94:2
5. Comment:

   The striking of a semamntron (a plank of wood) with a mallet summons the monks for prayer. Thus, the image here probably makes reference to the psalm verse "O come, let us rejoice in the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to God our savior!" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 63v:

1. 
2. Title: David Venerating God
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 94:2-8
5. Comment:

   The verse illustrated is probably "O come, let us do obeissance and prostrate ourselves before him" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/

fol. 64v:

1. 
2. Title: Idol-Worshipers
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 95:3-9
5. Comment:

   "Idols"

   "because all the gods of the nations are demons" (NETS). The "gods of the nations" are represented as two statues of pagan divinities placed on top of columns.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 66r:

1. 
2. Title: God Enthroned between Cherubim
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 97:8-98:5
5. Comment:

   "The Cherubim"

   "He who sits upon the cheroubin--let the earth shake!" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 66v:

1. 
2. Title: The Elevation of the Holy Cross
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 98:5-99:2
5. Comment:

   The miniature corresponds to the psalm verse "Exalt the Lord our God, and do obeisance toward his holy mountain, because the Lord our God is holy" (NETS). "Holy mountain" is understood to refer to Golgotha. The miniature shows a company of deacons and bishops raising a cross from a church pulpit, to be venerated by the faithful. In Orthodox churches, this ceremony takes place on September 14, feast of the Universal Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Creating Cross.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 67r:

1. 
2. Title: David Praying to God
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 99:2-100:3

fol. 67v:

1. 
2. Title: David Praying to God
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 100:3-8
5. Comment:

   A line connects the miniature to the psalm words "a crooked heart did not cling to me" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 68r:

1. 
2. Title: God Blessing a Poor Man
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 100:8-101:5
5. Comment:

   The miniature illustrates the title of the adjacent psalm: "A prayer. Pertaining to the poor one. When he is weary and pours out his petition before the Lord" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 68v:

1. 
2. Title: David Pointing to a Bird upon a Tree
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 101:5-12
5. Comment:

   "Raven"

   In spite of the labeling inscription, the bird on the tree does not look like a raven. The miniature probably corresponds to David's words "I resembled a desert pelican" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 69v:

1. 
2. Title: God Looking Down on Earth; An Angel Saving a Soul from Hades; A Hermit Fed by a Raven
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalm 101:20-27
5. Comment:

   The first two images illustrate the verses "the Lord from heaven looked at the earth" and "to set free the sons of those put to death" (NETS), but the precise referent of the third one is unclear. Perhaps it refers to the words (found on the facing page) "the sons of your servants shall encamp."

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 70r:

1. 
2. Title: David Praying to God
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 101:27-102:4

fol. 70v:

1. 
2. Title: An Old Man and an Eagle
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 102:4-11
5. Comment:

   The image illustrates the words "your youth will be renewed like an eagle's" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 72r:

1. 
2. Title: Water Flowing from the Mountains
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 103:1-8
5. Comment:

   The verse illustrated here (and marked in the text) is "above the mountains the waters will stand" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 72v:

1. 
2. Title: Waters Flowing amid the Mountains
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 103:8-14
5. Comment:

   "Between the mountains waters will flow" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 73r:

1. 
2. Title: Birds, Animals, a Tree and a Mountain
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 103:15-22
5. Comment:

   "The sparrows will build their nests; the home of the heron leads them. The high mountains are for the does" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 73v:

1. 
2. Title: The Sea and Sea Monsters
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 103:22-28
5. Comment:

   "This great and wide sea; there creeping things innumerable, living things, small with great" (NETS). In the miniature, the sea is personified by a woman holding an oar and riding a marine monster.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 74v:

1. 
2. Title: A Female Saint Praying to God
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 103:35-104:7

fol. 75v:

1. 
2. Title: Joseph Sold into Slavery
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 104:16-24
5. Comment:

   "Ioseph was sold as a Slave" (NETS); compare Genesis 37:17-28

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 76r:

1. 
2. Title: The Plague of Blood; Israel Coming to Egypt
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalm 104:24-30
5. Comment:

   "He changed their waters into blood;" compare Exodus 7:20. "And Israel entered into Egypt" (NETS); compare Exodus 1:1-7.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 76v:

1. 
2. Title: Two Jews before Pharaoh (?)
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 104:31-38
5. Comment:

   The lower margin contains the name of one Theodosius Cacuris from Athens and the date August 2, 1724.

   It is possible that this is an unifinished illustration and that the figure of Moses and Aaron (?) talking to Pharaoh were meant to be supplemented by depiction of the plagues of Egypt. The verse right next to the miniature reads "He spoke, and god-flies came, and gnats in all their territories" (NETS); compare Exodus 8:16-32.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 77r:

1. 
2. Title: The Israelites and the Pillar of Fire; The Quails in the Desert
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalm 104:38-45
5. Comment:

   "He spread a cloud as covering and fire to give light during the night. They asked, and quails came, and with heaven's bread he filled them" (NETS); compare Exodus 13:21-22, 16:13-18.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 78r:

1. 
2. Title: An Egyptian Sinking into the Sea
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX 105:7-13
5. Comment:

   "And water covered those who afflicted them" (NETS); compare Exodus 14:27-28.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 78v:

1. 
2. Title: The Jews in the Wilderness; Earth Swallowing Dathan; Flame Burning up the Wicked; The Adoration of the Golden Calf
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalm 105:13-20
5. Comment:

   The uppermost scene corresponds to "[God] sent surfeit into their souls." The following ones illustrates, respectively, "the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan" (compare Numbers 16:32-33), "a flame burned up sinners" (compare Numbers 16:35), "and they made a calf at Choreb and did obeissance to the carved image" (compare Exodus 32:4-6) (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 79v:

1. 
2. Title: A Monastic Saint Giving Alms
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 106:6-12
5. Comment:

   "Let them acknowledge the Lord for his mercies and for his wonderful works to the sons of men" (NETS) reads the verse next to this image.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 80v:

1. 
2. Title: A Ship
3. Form: Marginal drawing
4. Text: LXX Psalm 106:19-26
5. Comment:

   The clumsy ink drawing, evidently added a long time after the manuscript had been copied and illustrated, refers to "those who used to go down to the sea in ships, doing business on many waters" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 81v:

1. 
2. Title: The Ascension of Christ
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 107:6-11
5. Comment:

   "Angels," "Jesus Christ"

   "Be exalted to the heavens, O God" (NETS); compare Luke 24:51 and Acts 1:9. Note that the apostles are not included in the miniature; the praying woman must be the Virgin Mary.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 82r:

1. 
2. Title: The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 107:12-108:5
5. Comment:

   The legend about the Sleepers of Ephesus tells of seven Christians who hid in a cave at the time of the pagan persecutions, only to wake up some two hundred years later, when Christianity had already been legalized. The image here probably refers to the verse "And they surrounded me with words of hate and made war on me without cause" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 82v:

1. 
2. Title: Judas's Suicide
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 108:6-11
5. Comment:

   "The Hanging"

   The image illustrates the words of the psalmist's persecutors "Appoint a sinner against him, and let a slanderer stand on his right" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 83r:

1. 
2. Title: A Wicked Man Pursuing the Poor and Needy
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 108:11-17
5. Comment:

   "Since they [the sinners] did not remember to do mercy and pursued to death a person needy and poor and stunned in heart" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 84v:

1. 
2. Title: A Bishop Saint Praying to God; The Nativity; Melchisedec
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalms 108:30-109:5
5. Comment:

   "From the womb, before Morning-star, I brought you forth" is illustrated with an image of the Nativity. Below, a depiction of Melchisedec (Genesis 14:18), repeated in a later ink drawing, corresponds to "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchisedek" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 85v:

1. 
2. Title: David (?)
3. Form: Marginal drawing
4. Text: LXX Psalm 110:5-10
5. Comment:

   "Holy God, holy strong," [holy immortal, have mercy on us!]

   The person who added this naive drawing and the inscription in the upper margin clearly had problems with spelling. The text on the scroll which the unidentified figure holds probably reproduces, lamely, the word "covenant" found the first psalm verse on this page. The figure must have been meant to portray David, the author of most of the psalter.

fol. 87r:

1. 
2. Title: Job on the Trash Heap; The Baptism of Christ
3. Form: Marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalms 112:5-113:6
5. Comment:

   "The wife,""Job"

   The miniature with Job and his wife (Job 2:7-10) illustrates the words "It is he [God] who raises a poor one from the ground, and from a trash heap he lifts a needy one" (NETS). The verse "The sea saw it and fled; Jordan was turned backwards" is accompanied by an image of Christ's baptism, including personifications of Jordan and the (now lost) Sea.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 88r:

1. 
2. Title: David Pointing to an Idol
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 113:13-20
5. Comment:

   The verses illustrated begin on the facing page: "The idols of the nations are silver and gold, works of human hands. A mouth they have and will not speak" (NETS). The idol is represented as a statue placed on top of a pillar.

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 88v:

1. 
2. Title: Israel and Aaron
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 113:20-114:2
5. Comment:

   The verses illustrated are "The Lord was mindful of us and blessed us; he blessed the house of Israel; he blessed the house of Aaron" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 89v:

1. 
2. Title: David Drinking the Cup of Deliverance
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX 115:2-10
5. Comment:

   The miniature, showing David in bed as a sick man drinking from a large cup, probably illustrates the verse "A cup of deliverance I will take, and the name of the Lord I will call upon" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 90v:

1. 
2. Title: The Nations Besieging David
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 117:5-14
5. Comment:

   "All nations surrounded me, and in the name of the Lord I fended them off" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 91r:

1. 
2. Title: The Gates of Righteousness
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX 117:14-22
5. Comment:

   Two angels with their hands covered as a sign of veneration open a pair of celestial gates over a praying man: "Open to me the gates of righteousness" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 92r:

1. 
2. Title: The Blameless Ones
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 118:1-8
5. Comment:

   Five striding saints, the first of them probably King David, represent the "blameless in way, who walk in the Lord's law" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 97r:

1. 
2. Title: David Praying to God
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalm 118:92-100
5. Comment:

   The verse next to David's head reads "Yours I am; save me" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 99r:

1. 
2. Title: St. Zosimus Meeting St. Mary of Egypt in the Desert; The Communion of St. Mary of Egypt
3. Form: marginal miniatures
4. Text: LXX Psalm 118:124-132
5. Comment:

   St. Mary of Egypt was a repentant harlot who became a solitary hermit. A priest named Zosimas accidentally found her in the desert and managed to bring Holy Communion to her shortly before her death. The upper miniature shows him handing Mary a cloak to hide her nudity. The scene of St. Mary's communion probably corresponds to the verse "I opened my mouth and drew breath, because I was longing for your commandments" (NETS).

   NETS = A New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title, ed. B. Wright and A. Pietersma, 2d ed. (Oxford, 2009), on-line at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/nets/edition/

fol. 102v:

1. 
2. Title: A Monastic Saint
3. Form: Marginal miniature
4. Text: LXX Psalms 119:5-120:7

Frederick North, fifth Earl of Guilford (d. 1827), his no. 319

Sold after North's death, London, December 1830

Sir Thomas Phillipps (d. 1872), Middle Hill and Cheltenham, England, by purchase, his no. 10384

Sotheby's and Co., London, sale of July 1, 1946

Museum purchase, 1946

Miner, D. “The ‘Monastic’ Psalter in the Walters Art Gallery. ” In Late Classical and Medieval Studies in Honor of Albert Mathias Friend, Jr., ed. K. Weitzmann (Princeton, 1955), pp. 232–253.

Cutler, A. “The Marginal Psalter in the Walters Art Gallery: A Reconsideration.” Journal of the Walters Art Gallery 35 (1977): pp. 36–61; repr. in idem, Imagery and Ideology in Byzantine Art (London, 1992), no. iv.

Dufrenne, S. Tableaux synoptiques de 15 psautiers médiévaux à illustrations intégrales issues du texte (Paris, 1978).

Quandt, A., and A. Wallert, “The Technical Study of a Late Thirteenth-Century Byzantine Marginal Psalter from the Walters Art Gallery.” In Painting Techniques: History, Materials and Studio Practice. Contributions to the Dublin Congress 7–11 September 1998, eds. A. Roy and P. Smith (London, 1998), pp. 16–21, with pls. 9–11.

Lowden, J., in Byzantium: Faith and Power (1261–1557), ed. H. Evans, exh. cat., Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, 2004), pp. 274–76, cat. no. 160.

Parpulov, G. R. “A Catalogue of Greek Manuscripts at the Walters Art Museum.” Journal of the Walters Art Museum 62 (2004): pp. 71-189 at pp. 143-147.

Anderson, J. C. "The State of the Walters' Marginal Psalter and Its Implications for Art History." Journal of the Walters Art Museum 62 (2004): pp. 35-44.

Principal cataloger: Parpulov, Georgi R.

Cataloger: Walters Art Museum curatorial staff and researchers since 1934

Editors: Herbert, Lynley; Noel, William

Copy editor: Dibble, Charles

Conservators: Owen, Linda; Quandt, Abigail

Contributors: Bockrath, Diane; Emery, Doug; Noel, William; Tabritha, Ariel; Toth, Michael B.

The Walters Art Museum

Licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Access Rights, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode. It is requested that copies of any published articles based on the information in this data set be sent to the curator of manuscripts, The Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21201.