The Book of Kells

The oldest bound book in the world enshrined behind glass.
Prestige for Trinity College.
Most likely monks from the wind-swept island of Iona, Scotland, then to County Meath, city of Kells.
Twelve hundred years ago, who labored over the calfskins.
Scraped with a pumice, stretched, cut, and flattened.
The vellum is colored with brilliant inks of purples, lilacs, reds, pinks, greens, blues and yellows
from lead, orpiment, and lapis lazuli.

The Four Gospels, based on Vulgate.
The Four Evangelists, Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John, are depicted as man, lion, calf, and eagle
spread throughout the 150 calfskin pages of water and lime, scraped with pumice, stretched, cut, and flattened.

The illustrators, or better known as the illuminators, worked diligently, possibly for 30 years or more, while practicing obedience, chastity, and poverty.
While bowing seven times a day, while exerting in the garden, fishing, beekeeping, or singing: Ánima Christi, sanctífica me. Corpus Christi, salva me. Sanguis Christi, inebria me.

Illuminating the text, day after day.
Miniatures of humans, mythical beasts, and animals.
The insular art of deep purple, reds, and yellows while fasting, and creating stunningly complex details.
Virgin and the Child, the Temptation of Christ, or the Arrest of Jesus.

The scribes in their scriptorium, goose feather quills in hand, dreaming, creating, ornamenting.
Eight beatitudes, four embellished swans, four embellished humans.
Symbolic ichthus fish for Jesus Christ, son of God, Savior.

One hundred and fifty-eight complex interlacements of white ribbon, complicated knot work, interweaving when there was no magnifying glass. So devoted to God's work, and their craft.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me.