Divine Reads

Last updated: 31/08/2007 - 12:16

New series of ‘Sacred’ books unveiled to tie-in with exhibition.

As The British Library plays host to a marvellous exhibition bringing historic religious texts together for the first time British Library Publishing unveils a new series of ‘Sacred’ books.

The British Library exhibition Sacred brings some of the world’s most important and beautiful religious texts together for the first time. Exquisite and rare examples of Jewish, Christian and Muslim sacred texts from the Library’s collection - considered to be one of the greatest in the world – will be shown alongside treasures on loan from other institutions until late September. To accompany this major exhibition, the British Library is publishing a number of related new books.

Of these new works the official exhibition catalogue - Sacred: Books of the Three Faiths: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, illustrates and describes the rare texts on display in this exhibition, as well as the treasures loaned by other institutions for the purpose of the exhibition. Featuring approximately 200 colour images, it also contains essays by three leading scholars of religion: Karen Armstrong, Everett Fox and F.E. Peters, that explore aspects of the three faiths – their development through history and their meaning in the world today.

In Hebrew Manuscripts: The Power of Script and Image, British Library curator Ilana Tahan explores the fascinating milieu that Jewish scribes and artists worked in during the medieval period. With Judaism widely suppressed, these bookmakers were heavily influenced by the artistic trends of the majority cultures that surrounded them. This isolation from other Jewish communities led to two dominant traditions within Hebrew illumination styles: those that drew from Islamic art for inspiration and those that exhibited an affinity with Christian methods. Nonetheless, the exquisitely crafted images reproduced here are a vivid testimony to a distinctly Jewish creativity and passion for books. This publication offers an enthralling look into the history of the creation of Jewish scripture.

The British Library’s collection of Bible manuscripts is incomparable in its depth and breadth, preserving landmark editions from the second century up to modern times. Lavishly illustrated in full colour, Bible Manuscripts: 1400 Years of Scribes and Scripture outlines how the Bible was preserved and passed down over the past two millennia. Authored by Scot McKendrick, the British Library’s Head of Western Manuscripts, and Kathleen Doyle, Curator of Illuminated Manuscripts, this book offers an unparalleled opportunity to experience the whole of the rich tradition of Biblical manuscripts.

In Qur’an Manuscripts: Calligraphy, Illumination, Design, British Library curator Colin F Baker explores the central place of the Qur’an in Islamic society, but also focuses on the manuscripts as physical objects, taking a look at the celebrated calligraphy and the masterful artists who developed it. Numerous colour images display the breadth of illumination styles and production materials used. This book is a concise overview of the long history of these manuscripts from across the wide Islamic world, from the eighth to the end of the nineteenth century, and from Spain to South East Asia.

With the publication of The Voice, the Word, the Books: The Sacred Scripture of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims, F.E. Peters, a leading expert on religious scripture, has produced his most ambitious and illuminating examination yet of the sacred texts that have influenced much of Eastern and Western civilisation. Bringing the latest Biblical and Qur’anic scholarship to a general audience, Peters explains how God’s word became the Scriptures that we possess today.

Faith

He reveals new insights into their origins, contents, canonization, and the important roles they have played in the lives of their communities. He explores how they evolved through time from oral to written texts, who composed them and who wrote them, as well as the theological commonalities and points of disagreement among their adherents. Writing in the comparative style for which he is renowned, Peters charts the transmission of faith from the spoken word to the printed page, from the revelations on Sinai and Mount Hira to Mamluk ateliers in Cairo and Gutenberg’s press in Mainz.

Follow this link to read more about the Sacred: Discover What We Share exhibition.

These publications are each available direct from the British Library Bookshop (tel: 020 7412 7735, fax: 020 7412 7624, email: bl-bookshop@bl.uk or buy online at http://shop.bl.uk/).

The British Library at St Pancras is the national library of the United Kingdom - and one of the world's greatest libraries. The library currently includes 150 million items, in most known languages, with 3 million new items: including a copy of every publication produced in the UK and Ireland, as well as CD, DVD and mini-disc material - being incorporated into the collection every year. If you’re not in London readers can experience the British Library online at www.bl.uk and also help the British Library conserve the world's knowledge by visiting Adopt a Book.

Admission to all British Library displays is free. The Library's St Pancras site is fully WiFi – enabled.

The Voice, the Word, the Books: The Sacred Scripture of the Jews, Christians and Muslims by F.E. Peters is available now, published by the British Library, price £20.00 hardback, (304 pages, 244 x 172mm, 16 colour illustrations.

Hebrew Manuscripts: The Power of Script and Image by Ilana Tahan, is published in hardback by the British Library, 12 May, price £20.00 (128 pages, 244 x 172mm, 80 colour illustrations.

Bible Manuscripts: 1400 Years of Scribes and Scripture by Scot McKendrick and Kathleen Doyle, is published in hardback by the British Library, 26 April 2007, price £20.00 (160 pages, 244 x 172mm, 144 colour illustrations.

Qur’an Manuscripts: Calligraphy, Illumination, Design by Colin Baker, is available now, published in hardback by the British Library, price £20.00 (128 pages, 244 x 172mm, 80 colour illustrations.

Sacred: Books of the Three Faiths: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, edited by John Reeve is available now, published by the British Library, price £25.00 hardback, (208 pages, 230 x 220mm, approx. 200 colour illustrations, ISBN 978 0 7123 4975 8). Also available in paperback at £14.95.

Sacred the exhibition at The British Library has now come to an end.

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