Book of Kells Book of Kells The Book of Kells (; ; Dublin, Trinity College Library, MS A. I. [58], sometimes known as the Book of Columba) is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. It was created in a Columban monastery in either Britain or Ireland and may have had contributions from various Columban institutions from both Britain and Ireland. It is believed to have been created 800 AD. The text of the Gospels is largely drawn from the Vulgate, although it also includes several passages drawn
Book of Kells Kells names an extra ancestor. Matthew 10:34b The canonised Bible reads "I came not to send peace, but a sword," but the manuscript reads "gaudium" ("joy") where it should read "gladium" ("sword") and so translates as "I came not <nowiki>[</nowiki>only<nowiki>]</nowiki> to send peace, but joy." The lavishly decorated opening page of the Gospel according to John in the Book of Kells had been deciphered by George Bain as: "In principio erat verbum verum" [In the beginning was the True Word]. Therefore, the Incipit is a free translation into Latin of the Greek original λογος rather than a mere copy of