British Library Manuscripts

What to Expect

Manuscripts that Changed the World
In the British Library's collection, there are over 200 different objects, all housed in the John Ritblat Gallery, where we will head. Here you will learn how the most interesting manuscripts and books of humanity were created. You will hear about the fates of people who were willing to give their lives to create books that changed the lives of whole nations. We will talk about the role of progress and what the printing press of the 15th century and the internet have in common. We will pay special attention to the main treasures of the Library:

• Diamond Sutra - the oldest printed book in the world, dated to 868 AD, containing the foundational text of Buddhism.
• Codex Sinaiticus. One of the earliest complete lists of the Bible in Greek, preserved to this day. The codex, written in the 4th century, became a crucial turning point in the history of book production, played a role in standardizing the Bible, and in embodying the concept of the Bible as the Book of books.
• Lindisfarne Gospels. This is the book that in 2003, the influential newspaper Times called "The Book that Fashioned Englishness." The richly illustrated pages of the book reflect the influence of Celtic, Coptic, Anglo-Saxon, and Roman art - it is on the foundation of these cultures that British culture was built.
• Magna Carta - the document on which the principles of modern democracy are based. You will learn about the reasons that led King John to affix his seal to a document in 1215 that limited his power.
• Gutenberg Bible - the first bestseller of the Middle Ages, printed by the creator of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg, in 1455. This beautifully crafted book is traditionally considered the starting point of the history of book printing in Europe.
• First folio of Shakespeare's works and handwritten songs by the famous Beatles. The main hallmarks of British culture!
• Tyndale Bible - the first Bible printed in English. Tyndale's translations were condemned by both the Church and the monarchy of England, and for his translation, the author paid the highest price: in 1536, Tyndale was declared a heretic and burned at the stake.
• King James Bible, released in England in 1611 based on Tyndale's translation. With slight changes made in the 19th century, this Bible has survived to this day as the primary one for Anglicans worldwide.
• Original personal correspondence and notebooks of the great Renaissance masters, Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. You will touch the lives of geniuses and learn new facts about the Renaissance - the brightest era of European art.