Exhibition The 1200-year-old Bible from Moutier returns to the Jura

The legendary Bible of Moutier-Grandval is returning to the Jura for an exhibition from March 8 to June 8, 2025. The manuscript, which is around 1200 years old, is one of the oldest completely preserved illustrated Bibles in the world.

In its press release on Monday, the Musée jurassien d'art et d'histoire (MJAH) in Delsberg describes it as "an extraordinary testimony to the historical, cultural and religious wealth of Europe". The Bible, which is now kept in the British Library in London, was created around 830 in the Abbey of Saint-Martin in Tours (F) and given to the Abbey of Moutier-Grandval as a gift.

The Bible is not only a great work in terms of its significance, but also in terms of its sheer size. It contains almost 450 leaves, each measuring over 50 by 37 centimeters.

Around twenty monks were involved in the creation of the richly decorated and illustrated work, according to the press release. In addition to the numerous miniatures, a special feature is the script with Carolingian minuscules. This script was created under Emperor Charlemagne and was distributed throughout the empire at his request.

The Moutier-Grandval Bible will be on display in Delsberg for the first time since 1981. According to the MJAH, it will be part of a large exhibition with other items on loan from the time of its creation. There are plans to complement the exhibition with a series of cultural and scientific events.

SDA