20.3 Old Testament
978
Iviron Monastery, Library, Georgian Cod. 1
Parchment, 44.5 x 32.3 cm
Scribes: Michael, Georgios, and Stephanos, monks
The first part of a two-volume work comprising all the books of the Old Testament, except for the Psalms, the Book of Chronicles, and the Book of Maccabees. This first part contains: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Judges, Ruth, Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Judith, and Tobias. The manuscript was written for a Byzantine patrician of Georgian descent named John Cordvaneli, surnamed Tornik, at Oski Monastery in the district of Tao-Klardjeti in Georgia. It originally comprised three volumes, but they were bound as two, the third part becoming the second volume. It is a fine Georgian literary monument, written in hieratic minuscule script (nuskhuri), and originates from a notable spiritual centre in ancient Georgia.