In the Beginning: Bibles before the year 1000

The history of the Bible can be traced from fragile fragments of papyrus and humble parchment codices to resplendent manuscripts and sumptuous jeweled bindings. As an exhibition, In the Beginning gathered some of the world's most important biblical manuscripts -- many never before seen in the United States -- to examine how the Bible took shape. Hailed as a "superb volume" by Johns Hopkins University's Journal of Early Christian Studies, the accompanying catalogue also offers rare glimpses into ancient texts, such as Charles Lang Freer's own Codex Washingtonensis and the earliest complete Christian bibles, dating to the fourth and fifth centuries. In all, the catalogue contains more than 70 images of the oldest biblical artifacts in existence, including pages and fragments written in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Armenian, Ethiopian, and Coptic. Also featured are contributions by scholars that illuminate the Bible's evolution, detailing how various cultures participated in its development and how its teachings were promoted and experienced during this formative period.