The Bible in Byzantium

The Bible is the foundational text for the Byzantine Empire. The papers of this volume explore its reception through appropriation, adaptation and interpretation as articulated in all aspects of Byzantine society. Several sessions at the ISBL held in Vienna, 6 to 10 July 2014 on ‘The Reception of the Bible in Greco-Roman Tradition,’ ‘The Bible between Jews and Christians in Byzantium,’ ‘Biblical Scholarship in Byzantium,’ and ‘Biblical Foundations of Byzantine Identity and Culture’ built the basis of this volume.Various angles shed light on the Byzantine experience of the Bible. The wide range of source materials that inform the contributions to this volume—from manuscripts and military handbooks to lead seals and pilgrim guides— allows insights into a vivid liturgical tradition, which shapes Orthodox Christianity up today. As a thoroughly Christianized society, the Bible had sunk deep into the cultural DNA of Byzantium. The volume shows the multitude of strategies for the engagement with the Biblical text and the manifold ways in which the Bible message was experienced, articulated and brought to life on a daily basis.

A Living Text – How was the Bible experienced and encountered in Byzantine times?

This volume deals with the Bible as it has been perceived and experienced in Byzantium. The volume arose from several session held on this topic at the ISBL congress in Vienna in 2014. The contributions collected show the living, especially liturgical, engagement with the Bible during the Byzantine empire, which is roughly defined as extending from the fourth to the 15th century. The papers look at a huge variety of source material, such as illuminated manuscripts or lead seals, to illustrate how Biblical thought and imagery infused all aspects of Byzantine cultural and religious life.