The Codex Gigas, also known as the Devil’s Bible, is a large 13th century manuscript that contains the full Latin Vulgate Bible as well as several other texts. At 36 inches tall, 20 inches wide, and nearly 9 inches thick, the Codex Gigas is the largest known medieval manuscript in the world. The name “Devil’s Bible” comes from a large illustration of the devil located on folio 290 recto. The codex contains a total of 310 leaves of vellum, all made from the skins of 160 donkeys or perhaps calfskin. It was created in the early 13th century in the Benedictine monastery of Podlažice in Bohemia (modern Czech Republic).
The Codex Gigas contains the complete Vulgate Latin translation of the Bible, except for the books of Acts and Revelation. In addition to the Bible text, it also includes Isidore of Seville’s Etymologies, the standard textbook for teaching medicine in the Middle Ages, Josephus’s Antiquities of the Jews, the Chronicle of Bohemia of Cosmas of Prague, and several other texts. The codex includes mystical medical incantations and formulas, along with a full-page illustration of the heavenly city of Jerusalem.
According to legend, the Codex Gigas was authored by a monk who broke his monastic vows and was sentenced to be walled up alive. In order to avoid this harsh punishment, the monk promised to create a book that would glorify the monastery and contain all human knowledge within a single volume. He made a pact with the devil to help him complete this monumental task in exchange for his freedom. This legend, along with the large illustration of the devil included in the text, led to the nickname “Devil’s Bible.”
The origin story is probably just a legend, but the making of this giant book was certainly a remarkable feat. It likely took over 20 years for the scribes and artists to complete it. The lettering is uniform and consistent throughout, indicating that it was the work of one scribe. All of the pigmentation used, including ink and paints, was created from locally available materials, such as iron gall ink and pigments ground from mineral and plant sources.
The Codex Gigas remained at the monastery in Podlažice until the monastery was destroyed in the 15th century during the Hussite Wars. It was then taken to the Benedictine monastery at Břevnov near Prague. In 1594, the manuscript was acquired by the ruler Rudolf II, who took it to his castle in Prague, where it remained for over a century. It was later plundered by the Swedish army during the Thirty Years’ War and taken to Stockholm as a spoil of war. After 378 years removed from the Czech lands, the Codex Gigas was returned to Prague on loan from Sweden in 2007, where it is on display at the National Library.
The significance and mystery surrounding the Codex Gigas has intrigued scholars for centuries. Its immense size and strange legend have prompted ongoing fascination and study. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, microscopy, and digital analysis have allowed new insights about the manuscript’s construction and creation. Even with present-day analytical techniques, many questions remain regarding the origins and purpose of this unique and massive book.
Modern scholars believe the Codex Gigas may have been created to compensate for the loss of other monastic books and manuscripts. By constructing a comprehensive book that included both the Old and New Testaments, standard textbooks, histories, and magical formulas, the Codex Gigas ensured this monastery would have a replacement for any works that may have been lost. Its scale and complexity reflect the importance and value medieval scholars placed on books.
The Codex Gigas provides a window into medieval monastic life and Christian scholarship. As the largest known European manuscript from the Middle Ages, it represents an enormous feat of religious devotion, scholarship, artistry, and craftsmanship. Eight centuries later, this massive tome still evokes a sense of wonder and mystery befitting its legendary origins.
[Revelation 1:1-20 ESV] In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” …
[Acts 2:1-47 ESV] When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. …
The Codex Gigas contains a treasure trove of information from medieval Christian monastic life. As one of the largest known medieval manuscripts, it represents an ambitious attempt to collect multiple important texts between two covers. This massive book continues to capture imaginations over eight centuries after its creation.
While many details about the Codex Gigas remain shrouded in mystery, its value as both a religious and historical artifact is undisputed. Containing most of the Vulgate Bible, it served an important role in promoting and spreading the Christian faith in medieval Bohemia. As a codex that unified many important reference works within a single volume, it also provided vital knowledge ranging from medicine to history for the monastery and scholars who possessed it.
Modern analytical methods have offered some tantalizing clues about its construction, but many questions still remain. Who was the scribe that undertook the Herculean effort to construct this book, and what fully motivated its creation? How was the parchment prepared and pigmentation chosen to create such a uniform final product? What happened to all the underlying preparatory sketches for a work of such complexity? Such puzzles only enhance the Codex Gigas’ mystique.
For those interested in medieval manuscripts, art history, Christianity, or simply human ambition, the Codex Gigas stands as an enduring testament to the skill and determination found eight centuries ago within a Bohemian monastery. With its oversized scale and strange legends, the bible known as the Devil’s Bible continues to capture imaginations across generations.