Joshua Roll

Joshua Roll

The Imperial Court School of Byzantium produced the 10th century Joshua Roll during the Macedonian Renaissance, which took place after the end of iconoclasm. The roll depicts the Old Testament Book of Joshua as a continuous frieze. It is likely inspired by Greco-Roman art, particularly by classical triumphal columns. The production of the manuscript aligns with the Byzantine army taking back control of the Holy Land from the Arabs, which suggests that the Joshua Roll may have been created to celebrate the military victory.

The facsimile of the Joshua Roll is housed within a protective box that extends out to serve as a display case. It is spaced out precisely for each of the 15 segments of the scroll to be viewed individually. The facsimile is true not only in size and color, but also reproduces the original form of the scroll with either end attached to two woodcores.

Imperial Court School of Byzantium

Facsimile: UNT Special Collections Library, Call Number: Z114 .V3 vol. 43 1983
Original MS: Vatican City State, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Pal. graec. 431

Graz: Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt

Facsimile: 1983
Original MS: c. 10th century

Commentary: Otto Mazal

Graz: Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt

Leo Bible

1 scroll: 42 x 30 x 17 cm

Facsimile: Greek
Commentary: German

Sacred Texts

Scroll celebrating success of Byzantine armies in the Holy Land

Byzantine, c. 10th century

Prepared by Tania Kolarik