Beinecke MS 589
France, s. XIV 1
Bible

1. ff. 1r-2r	List of Epistle and Gospel readings (incipit and explicit) for the liturgical year.
	f. 2v blank

2. f. 3r		Survey of the subdivisions of the Bible.	f. 3v blank

3. ff. 4r-643v	The Prologues to the Bible are marked by the Stegmueller numbers. Frater 
Ambrosius ... [Prol., 284] ; Desiderii mei desideratus ... [Prol. Genesis, 285] ; Tandem finito 
Pentatheuco ... [Prol. Joshua, 311]; Ihesus filius Nave ... [Argum. Joshua, 307]; Si septuaginta 
interpretum ... [Prol. Chronicles, 328]; Utrum difficilius sit ... [Prol. Esdras, 930]; Chromatio et 
Heliodoro episcopis ... [Prol. Tobit]; Apud Hebreos liber Iudith  ... [Prol. Iudith, 335]; Librum 
Hester variis ... [Prol. Esther, 341]; Rursum in libro Hester alfabetum ... [Praef. Esther, 343]; 
Cogor per cunctos Divine Scripture libros ... [Prol. I Job, 344]; Si aut fiscellam ... [Prol. II Job, 
357]; In terra quidem habitasse ... [Argum. Job, 349; the text of Job ends incomplete f. 282v, 
38:6 ... super quo bases illius solidate sunt aut quis //]; // Theodotionis dumtaxat editionem ... 
[Prol. Psalms, begins incomplete]; Pusillus eram inter fratres meos ... [Argum. Psalms]; Cromatio 
et Heliodoro ... [Prol. I Proverbs]; Tribus nominibus vocatur ... [Prol. II Proverbs]; Tres libros 
Salomonis ... [Argum. Proverbs, 455]; Memini me hoc ferme ... [Prol. Ecclesiastes, 462] ; 
Salomon id est pacificus ... [Prol. I Canticles, 465] ; Quatuor michi in hoc opere ... [Prol. II 
Canticles]; Liber sapiencie apud Hebreos ... [Prol. Wisdom of Solomon, 468]; Multorum nobis et 
magnorum ... [Prol. Ecclesiasticus]; Nemo cum prophetas versibus ... [Prol. Isaiah, 482]; Isaias in 
Hierusalem nobili genere ... [Praef. Isaiah, 480]; Iheremias propheta cui hic prologus scribitur ... 
[Prol. Jeremiah, 487]; Liber iste qui Baruch nomine prenotatur ... [Praef. Baruch, 491]; Ezechiel 
propheta cum Ioachim ... [Prol. Ezekiel, 492]; Danielem prophetam iuxta septuaginta ... [Prol. 
Daniel, 494]; Non idem ordo est ... [Prol. I Minor Prophets, 500]; Temporibus Ozie et Ioathe ... 
[Prol. II Minor Prophets, 507]; Muplex [l. Duplex] est apud Hebreos de his quatuor ... [Argum. 
Minor Prophets, 504] ; Sanctus Ioel apud Hebreos ... [Prol. Joel, 511] ; Ioel filius Phatuel ... 
[Argum. I Joel, 510] ; Ioel de tribu Ruben ... [Argum. II Joel, 509]; Ozias rex cum Dei ...[Praef. 
Amos, 515]; Amos pastor et rusticus  ... [Argum. Amos, 512]; Iacob patriarcha fratrem habuit ... 
[Praef. Obadiah, 519]; Abdias qui interpretatur ... [Argum. Obadiah, 516]; Ionam Hebrei 
sanctum affirmant ... [Praef. Jonah, 524]; Ionas interpretatur columba ... [Argum. Jonah, 523]; 
Temporibus Ioatham et Achaz ... [Praef. Micah, 526] ; Micheas de Morasti choheres ... [Argum. 
Micah, 525]; Naum prophetam ante adventum ... [Praef. Nahum, 528]; Naum consolator orbis ... 
[Argum. Nahum, 527]; Quatuor prophete ... [Prol. Habakkuk, 531]; Abachuc amplexans ... 
[Argum. I Habakkuk, 530]; Abachuc luctator fortis... [Argum. II Habakkuk, 529]; Tradunt 
Hebrei cuiuscumque prophete ... [Prol. Zephaniah, 534]; Sophonias speculator ... [Argum. 
Zephaniah, 532]; Iheremias propheta ob causam periurii ... [Praef. Haggai, 538]; Aggeus festivus 
et letus ... [Argum. Haggai, 535]; Anno secundo Darii regis ... [Praef. Zechariah, 539]; Zacharias 
memor Domini sui ... [Argum. Zechariah, 540]; Deus per Moysen populo ... [Praef. Malachi, 
543]; Malachias Latine interpretatur angelus [Argum. Malachi, 545]; Domino excellentissimo et in 
cultu Christiane religionis strenuissimo Lodovico regi Rabanus ... [Prol. I Maccabees, 547] ; 
Reverendissimo domino et omnis caritatis officio dignissimo Geraldo ... Rabanus ... [Prol. II 
Maccabees, 553]; Machabeorum libri duo prenotant ... [Argum. Maccabees, 551]; Matheus ex 
Iudea sicut in ordine primus ponitur ... [Prol. I Matthew, 591]; Matheus cum primo  predicasset 
evangelium... [Prol. II Matthew, 589]; Marchus evangelista Dei electus ... [Prol. Mark, 607]; 
Luchas Antiocenus  natione Syrus ... [Prol. Luke, 615]; Hic est Iohannes evangelista ... [Argum. 
John, 624]; Primum queritur quare post evangelia ... [Prol. I Romans, 670]; Romani sunt qui ex 
Iudeis ... [Prol. II Romans, 674]; Omnis textus vel numerus ... [Prol. III Romans, 651]; Epistole 
beati Pauli ad Romanos ... [Prol. IV Romans, 651]; Romani sunt in partibus Ytalie ... [Argum. 
Romans, 676]; Epistola prima ad Corinthios ... [Prol. 1 Corinthians, 690]; Chorinthi sunt Achaici 
... [Argum. 1 Corinthians, 686-687]; In secunda ad Corinthios epistola ... [Prol. 2 Corinthians, 
697]; Post actam penitenciam ... [Argum. 2 Corinthians, 700]; Galathe sunt Greci ... [Argum. 
Galatians, 707]; Ephesii sunt Asiani ... [Argum. Ephesians, 715]; Philippenses sunt Macedones 
... [Argum. Philippians, 728??729-732]; Colossenses et hi sicut Laodiceni ... [Argum. 
Colossians, 736]; Thessalonicenses sunt Macedones ... [Argum. 1 Thessalonians, 747]; Ad 
Thessalonicenses secundam scribit ... [Argum. 2 Thessalonians, 752]; Timotheum instruit et ... 
[Argum. 1 Timothy, 765]; Item Timotheo scribit ... [Argum. 2 Timothy, 772]; Tytum 
commonefacit ... [Argum. Titus, 780]; Philemoni familiares litteras ... [Argum. Philemon, 783]; 
In primis dicendum est cur... [Argum. I Hebrews, 793] ; Hebrei proprio gentis sue vocabulo 
[Argum. II Hebrews, 791] ; Luchas Anthiocenus natione Syrus [Prol. I Acts, 637] ; Canit 
psalmista : Ambulabunt ... [Prol. II Acts, 633] ; Liber actuum apostolorum ... [Argum. Acts]; Non 
ita ordo est apud Grecos ... [Prol. Catholic Epistles, 809]; Iacobus Petrus Iohannes ... [Prol. I 
James, 807]; Iacobus Dei qui appellatur frater  [Prol. II James, 808]; Iacobus apostolus sanctum 
instruxit ... [Argum. James, 806]; Discipulos Salvatoris invictos ... [Argum. 1 Peter, 812]; Symon 
Petrus per fidem ... [Argum. 2 Peter, 818]; Rationem verbi et quod Deus  ... [Argum. 1 John, 
822]; Usque adeo ad sanctam feminam scribit ... [Argum. 2 John, 823]; Gayum pietatis causa 
extollit ... [Argum. 3 John, 824]; Iudas apostolus frater Iacobi ... [Argum. I Jude, 825??]; Iudas 
frater Iacobi ... [Argum. II Jude, 826]; Iohannes apostolus et evangelista ... [Prol. I  Revelation, 
834-835] ; Beatus Iohannes apostolus post ... [Prol. II Revelation, 831] ; Omnes qui pie volunt 
vivere ... [Prol. III Revelation, 839] ; Apocalipsis Iohannis tot habet sacramenta ... [Argum. 
Revelation, 829].
4. ff. 644r-693r	 Hic sunt interpretationes Hebraycorum nominum incipiencium per A 
litteram. Aaz: apprehendens ... Zuzim: consiliantes eos vel consiliatores eorum.
Stephen Langton (Stephanus Langton, d. 1228), Interpretationes nominum Hebraicorum, 
Stegmueller 7709.

Parchment, ff. II + 693 + II, 180 x 135 mm. Thin parchment, many leaves and the lower outer 
corners of all leaves damaged by moist. Two folios are missing between ff. 184 and 185, two 
folios between ff. 282 and 283, one folio between ff. 295 and 296,  all with loss of text.
I 4 (- 4, ff. 1-3), II-VI 20 (ff. 4-103), VII-IX 22 (ff. 104-169), X 22 (- 16, - 17, ff. 170-189), XI-
XIV 22 (ff. 190-277), XV 22 (- 6, - 7, - 21, ff. 278-296), XVI 24 (ff. 297-320), XVII-XIX 22 (ff. 
321-386), XX-XXII 24 (ff. 387-458), XXIII 26 (ff. 459-484), XXIV-XXV 24 (ff. 485-532), 
XXVI-XXVII 26 (ff. 533-584), XXVIII 28 (ff. 585-612), XXIX 32 (- 32, ff. 613-643), XXX 22 
(ff. 644-665), XXXI 28 (- 27,- 28, ff. 666-693).

Ruled with lead for two columns of 40 lines below top line (3 columns for art. 4). Ruling almost 
invisible (112-115 x 82 mm., intercolumnar space 6 mm.), with double horizontal lines in the top 
margin for running titles and double vertical lines in the outer margin.
Written in very small Northern Gothica Textualis.
Red headings and red heigthening of the majuscules. Alternately red and blue pain initials (1 
line) in art. 4. Alternately red and blue flourished initials (2 lines) with long marginal extensions. 
Beautiful larger flourished initials in the same colours with very developed penwork, in which 
both colours are sometimes combined, at the beginning of the various books and sections. On f. 
1r large littera duplex and on f. 8r (beginning of Genesis) large initial I with very fine penwork, 
both the full height of the text area and in the same colours.  Running titles in red and blue.
Binding s. XVI: blind-tooled brown calf over thin wooden boards, decorated with rolls. 
Rebacked. Remnants of two clasps fixed to the rear cover.  On the spine two labels, the upper 
one with the gold-tooled title in Gothic s. XIX: "Biblia sacra cum interpretationibus Hebraicorum 
nomine [sic] in fine"; the lower one with gold-tooled inscription in Roman type "MS.P." On the 
first fly-leaf (f. Iv) a list of Biblical Kings.
There is no good explanation for the complicated quire structure of this manuscript, except that 
art. 4 is a separate codicological unit. The first quire, made from goatskin and containing articles 
1-2, is additional s. XIV and the handwriting looks Italian. The rare marginal notes appear most 
in the first quires, are written in Italian Gothica Cursiva and seem generally to be of a 
grammatical nature. The manuscript, copied in France in the beginning of the fourteenth century, 
was consequently later in Italy. Bookplate of James William Ellsworth. Collection of Col. 
Richard Gimbel. Gift of Mrs. Richard Gimbel, 1971.

Bibliography: Shailor, The Medieval Book, 40.

Albert Derolez

R 03.06.08