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Similar Chronicle of Dalimil, Speculum Humanae Salvationis, The chronicle of the Czechs, Máj, Gospel Book | ||
The Velislaus Bible or Velislav's Bible (Latin Velislai biblia picta) is an illuminated manuscript of 1325–1349, which is in effect a picture-book of the Bible, as the text is limited to brief titles or descriptions of the 747 pictures from the Old Testament and the New Testament, from the writings about the Antichrist and from the legends of the saints, especially St Wenceslas. It is therefore an example of a Biblia pauperum, though not in the typical form, having many more images. Most of the illuminations are only in ink, though some colour is used.
The manuscript is of 188 folios on parchment, with a page size of 307 x 245 mm. It is in the Czech National Library (Národní knihovna Ceské republiky), Prague. The codex was created by several artists probably for Velislav the Canon (d. 1367), the notary of John I of Bohemia and his son Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor, who were both based in Prague.