This manuscript from the Carthusian monastery of Basel, whose shelfmark was changed several times, consists of three originally independent parts. The first, homiletic, part contains a series of Sermones and interpretive Expositiones on the Gospel readings of the day. The second part consists of a treatise on the ten commandments by the Augustinian Hermit Heinrich von Friemar (1245-1340) and an anonymous commentary on the Latin version of the Physiologus Theobaldi. In the third part of the manuscript, in addition to instructions for leading a God-pleasing life, there is a dispute between angel and devil about the seven deadly sins.  (flr)

This manuscript was copied in the 10th century at the monastic Lavra of Stylos on Mount Latmos in Caria by the scribe “Michael”. It contains Victor of Antioch's commentary on Mark as well as the catena of Andreas on the Catholic Epistles. There are two unfinished miniatures, one representing the Virgin enthroned with the Christ child (V3v), and the other with Christ in glory (V4r). During the Turks' invasion of Caria ca. 1079, Christodoulos of Patmos first transferred the codex to Constantinople, and then to the island of Patmos. During the Renaissance, the manuscript appeared in Worms with Johannes Camerarius, and then in Basel in the possession of Nicolaus Episcopius. (mal)

Six bifolia (perhaps 1 quire) of a manuscript produced in France, which contained a collection of as-yet unidentified exempla. In 1632, the fragment came to Bern as part of the property of Jacques Bongars. (mit)

This manuscript, which was copied in Norman Sicily, contains Origen's Commentary on the Song of Songs in the version translated from Greek into Latin by Rufinus of Aquileia (about 345-about 411). The text comprises the first four of the ten books of which Origen's original text must have consisted. It is preceded by a prologue by Jerome and is followed by short prayer by Gregory of Nazianzus, also translated into Latin by Rufinus of Aquileia. Origen's commentary, which presents Christ as the bridegroom and the Church, or also the individual soul, as the bride, influenced spiritual interpretations of the Song of Songs for centuries. (rou)

"Even as it is better to enlighten than merely to shine, so is it better to give to others the fruits of one's contemplation than merely to contemplate." The greatest work of Thomas Aquinas, the Summa Theologica, is the emblematic work of Christian scholasticism. This work, written near the end of the life of the great Dominican is incomplete, as its compositon was broken off by the death of the author. Organized in the form of questions (quaestiones) and subdivided into articles, the work presents theology in an organic form. Manuscript CB161 was produced in France, certainly in Paris, only a short time after the philosopher's death; it has been preserved in its original binding. The inscription from the end of the 13th century which can be found on the lower portion of the back cover shows that the manuscript was deposited as collateral by Jean de Paris against the loan of another work. (mes)

Breviary for use in the diocese of Lausanne. Additions to the calendar attest that this manuscript was used in a Dominican monastery in Lausanne from the 14th century on. The decoration consists of initials with mostly floral ornamentation and drolleries in the margins. This codex was heavily trimmed when it was rebound in the 18th century. (ber)

This single-column copy of five texts by Augustine is undecorated except for an initial with scroll ornamentation; the manuscript is listed in the All Saints Abbey register of books from about 1100 (Min. 17, f. 306v). In the 19th century this codex received a new binding using the original Romanesque wooden boards. (spe)

A copy of the sermons of the early Christian theologian Origen (185-254) on the Old Testament books of Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus, produced in the 9th century at the Abbey of St. Gall. (smu)

An excellently crafted copy of the ten-part commentary of the Greek theologian Origen (185-253/54) on the Epistle to the Romans (Commentarii in epistulas ad Romanos), produced in the Cloister of St. Gall during the second half of the 9th century. (smu)

Copies of 40 letters written by the church father Jerome, set down by a number of different scribes in the Cloister of St. Gall around the middle of the 9th century in Carolingian minuscule script. Annotated in the 11th century with rich interlinear and marginal commentaries by the monk Ekkehart IV († about 1060). This codex also contains the homilies of Origen on Jerome's Latin translation of the Song of Songs as well as the work De anima by Cassiodorus. (smu)

Lectionary from the Abbey of St. Gall with numerous sermons on various Gospel selections by the church fathers, produced by a number of different hands in the 10th century in St. Gall. This little studied volume also contains benedictions and oratory prayers. Appended at the back (in small script in two columns) is a Psalter. The manuscript has become extremely soiled with intensive use; it features assorted addenda and supplements from the 11th and 12th centuries. (smu)

Lectionary for the period from Christmas through the second Sunday of Lent, with 32 homilies (Predigten) for Sundays and feastdays, written mostly by the church fathers (Ambrosius, Augustine, the Venerable Bede, Fulgentius and Leo the Great, among others), most likely produced at the Abbey of St. Gall in the 10th or early 11th century. The name of one scribe, Egilolfus, added later, can be found on page 85 of the manuscript. The front pages of the manuscript are in exceedingly poor condition, having suffered water damage. The text breaks off on page 177, in the course of a tract by Leo the Great. (smu)

This manuscript, written by several hands, contains a total of 66 sermons, most of them by Bede and Gregory the Great, a few by Augustine and Jerome, and occasionally ones by Ambrose, Fulgentius, John Chrysostom, Maximus, Origen and by unknown authors. Some homilies are reproduced in their entirety, others in excerpts. Four strips of the Edictum Rothari were removed from the binding; today they are held in the Abbey Library of Saint Gall with the shelfmark Cod. Sang. 730. Imprints of these fragments are visible on the inside cover. (nie)

Lectionary. The first part, written in the 11th century, contains readings for the nocturns of the matins (for the entire church year, beginning with the first of Advent; first de tempore, then de sanctis). Readings from the gospels are indicated only by short text incipits and are augmented with homilies primarily by church fathers (among others Origen, the Venerable Bede, Gregory the Great). The second part, written in the 12th century, begins on p. 184 and contains readings from the Old and New Testaments for weekdays and holidays in ordinary time throughout the liturgical year. The manuscript contains several multi-line initials, among them a representational initial of a composite animal on p. 12. (sno)

Sermons for the Sundays after Pentecost. (smu)

This is a complete copy of the Sententiae by Peter Lombard († 1160). The chapter titles are listed at the beginning of each book (p. 3–5, 91–93, 170–171, 229–231). There are several figurative initials in red with green, blue and light yellow (p. 6: Mass as well as Synagogue and Ecclesia; p. 172: Annunciation; p. 232: good Samaritan) and many small pen-flourish initials in red and blue. Numerous marginal glosses. On p. 325/326, upside-down, a very faded 15th century (?) script, on the inner back cover the imprint of two pages of a Carolingian manuscript, at least in part from Origines, Homilia VIII in Ezechielem. (sno)