'Glastonbury Bible' manuscript leaf acquired by Bristol University

A manuscript leaf from a 13th century Latin bible, thought to have originated from Glastonbury Abbey, has been acquired by Bristol University.

The hand-written page contains the beginning of the Old Testament books of chronicles, narrating the history of Israel and Judah from the Creation.

Founded in the 7th century, the abbey was famous for its vast library.

But the library was destroyed on King Henry VIII's orders in 1539 and the bible was lost.

The university said what happened to the 'Glastonbury Bible' after this is something of a mystery.

It is known to have been in the collection of the 17th century politician Roger Gale, but like many medieval manuscripts it was subsequently broken up and leaves were cut out.

Today, leaves from the same manuscript can be found in the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio, and there is a substantial fragment in the Schøyen Collection based in London and Oslo.

The first word of the book, Adam, is marked by an illuminated A, made up of interlocking creatures and foliage.

The University of Bristol's postgraduate programme in Medieval Studies makes extensive use of manuscripts in the Library's Special Collections.

The leaf will be used in the teaching of medieval book production and culture.

Professor Ad Putter said: "This is a wonderful treasure.

"I have often visited nearby Glastonbury Abbey with students, and it is amazing to think that this was written there some 800 years ago, vanished and has now come home to the south west of England where it was originally created.

"This beautiful and historic artefact will help us to teach our students how to decipher medieval handwriting."