Part of a series that addresses the codicology of texts, this volume surveys changes in the Latin Bible from the fourth century until the early printed Bibles. Gibson aims to introduce students to the study of manuscripts as historical objects as well as texts.

The Bible in the Latin West surveys the changes in the most important book in the western world, the Latin Bible. Dr. Gibson beings the survey in late antiquity, discussing the sumptuous volumes of the great senatorial houses of the fourth century and how they influenced the early great Bibles of northern Europe. The discussion then moves through the Carolingian period, with its increased interest in commentary to early vernacular versions, and goes on to reveal how in the eleventh and twelfth centuries the growing number of monastic and university readers made new demands on texts which led to the inclusion of glosses and other scholarly apparatus. Later, the combined influences of increased literacy and growing wealth among the population called for vernacular translations and devotional aids such as Books of Hours. Gibson completes the survey with a look at early printed Bibles. This is a useful volume for anyone being introduced to the firsthand study of texts and their transmission, as well as for graduate students in history, English, modern languages, classics, and religious studies, The Bible in the Latin West contains an introductory survey, 28 plates with facing descriptions and analyses, a glossary, and extensive bibliographic material.