THE INITIAL

The Laud Bible, a giant single-volume codex now held in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, was probably designed and written in France during the middle years of the twelfth century, and bound in a French scriptorium around 1200. At the beginning of each Old Testament book is a large historiated initial containing an illustration based on some part of the accompanying text. The only exception is the very short book of Ruth, which has an ornamental initial formed from a grotesque creature. Some of the subjects illustrated in the Bible are very rare, including that in the initial to the book of Numbers, which is the subject of this essay (Pl. VIII). It illustrates an episode from the revolt of the priest Korah, and the destruction of his followers Dathan and Abiron by Moses. Even more unusually, it depicts a hell mouth devouring the two troublesome men while they are still alive.

The initial is formed by the capital ‘L’ of Locutusque est Dominus ad Mosen (‘and the Lord spoke to Moses’), the first words of the book, but the subject of the illustration is derived from the text of chapter 16, deep within the book, which describes how Korah, a rich and influential Levite relative of Moses and Aaron, accused Moses of favouritism in the selection of the high priests of the tabernacle. Moses declared that it was God who selected Aaron and his sons, and suggested that Korah accept the decision. Dathan and Abiron were not of the priestly Levite clan, but were ambitious in their support of Korah, and became involved in the revolt against Moses and Aaron. They refused to attend a meeting with Moses, who, after consultation with God, destroyed the two men and their followers in a very dramatic way, as shown in the illustration. In the initial Moses stands to the left and gestures while speaking to the people, and holds a scroll inscribed by the master scribe recedite a tabernaculis impiorum (‘stand back from the tabernacles of the impious’), warning them to move away to avoid being destroyed.