description Joshua Roll Overview
The Joshua Roll is a Byzantine illuminated manuscript produced in the 10th century and preserved in the Vatican Apostolic Library. Made as a horizontal parchment scroll, or rotulus, it presents episodes from the biblical Book of Joshua as a continuous sequence of drawings accompanied by Greek text. Its unusual format, classical visual vocabulary, and flowing narrative distinguish it from the bound codices that dominate surviving medieval manuscript production.
help Joshua Roll FAQ
Why is the Joshua Roll a scroll instead of a bound book?
The manuscript was constructed as a horizontal parchment rotulus, allowing its battle scenes to unfold in a long continuous sequence. This format is unusual for a 10th-century Byzantine biblical manuscript and recalls monumental narrative friezes.
Which events from the Book of Joshua appear on the roll?
The surviving sequence illustrates Joshua's conquest of Canaan, including military encounters and divine interventions described in the biblical text. Images and short Greek inscriptions guide the narrative across the parchment.
Why are parts of the Joshua Roll's pictures tilted?
Some figures and architectural elements appear oriented in ways that suggest adaptation from a different visual format. Scholars have proposed connections to wall painting, columns, or other monumental models, but the exact prototype remains debated.
Where is the Joshua Roll kept?
The 10th-century manuscript is preserved in the Vatican Apostolic Library. Its shelfmark is Palatinus graecus 431, often shortened to Pal. gr. 431 in catalogues.
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