The Book of Kells and the Scottish Connection

This morning we visited the Trinity College Library to view the Book of Kells which dates to about A.D. 800.

Entrance to the Trinity College Library exhibition of the Book of Kells
and the Long Room. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Two volumes of the famous illuminated Gospels in Latin were on display in a special case. One showed the first words of Luke 4.

And Jesus,full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness. (Luke 4:1, ESV)

Two full pages were used for these words and the associated drawings. Another volume was open to John 7:31-40.

The Book of Kells is famous for its drawings showing the The Four Evangelists, that is, the four writers of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Souvenirs may be seen in shops throughout Ireland with these images imprinted on them. Here is a plate depicting John as an eagle.

John as an Eagle. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

In A.D. 597 Saint Columba went from Ireland to Iona, an island near the coast of Scotland, to teach Christianity. Some scholars suggest that Columba prepared the famous Book of Kells, an illuminated Gospels, at Iona. The information at the Trinity College Library display dates the Book of Kells to A.D. 800. I do not have the materials available to clarify this difference.

It is not certain that anything remains on the island of Iona from the time of Columba, but there are numerous medieval ruins. Here is a photo I made a couple of years ago of the ruins of the nunnery on the island.

Ruins of the nunnery on the Island of Iona. Photo by Ferrell Jenkins.

Eventually the Book of Kells was brought to the Abbey of Kells, a monastery founded by Columba, about 40 miles north of Dublin.

We also visited Saint Patrick Cathedral and the Chester Beatty Library.

Dave and Marge left to return to London for their flight home. The rest of us plan to leave Dublin tomorrow about noon.