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n Charles of the Great's renowned Scriptorium in Aachen in 810 the consummate work of the period emerged as an illuminated Bible, a collection the four gospels of the New Testament, created by the best artists of their time, the volume has been handed down from the time of Charles the Great as the Lorsch Gospels.

The "euangelium pictum cum auro scriptum habens tabulas eburneas" (illustrated Gospel, written in gold, with carved ivory covers) is without question the most precious and the best guarded hand-written manuscript, that only on rare occasions was taken into the cloister to use over a seven centuries long period. The library has had the manuscript over all the years with nothing comparable, the Scriptorium of the abbey considered the Lorsch Gospels as an untouchable model.

This monumental work is also known under the designation Codex Aureus. The manuscript is one of the rarest examples of early-medieval handwriting, written entirely with gold-ink over 400 pages. Every page of the Lorsch Gospels has a magnificent coloured framework. The luminous colours have been preserved so magnificently, that one might remark, that the handwriting was written only recently.

The splendid illustrations excite through their detail - the reader is guided into each of the Gospels through a magnificent title page which leads to the main text of the Gospels. The volume is 472 pages in the large format of approximately 37 x 27 cm; unmarked, bright calf-parchment of discerning quality, gold and silver in abundance on each page along with the most sumptuous colours, the highest art skills, have left us the legacy of the Lorsch Gospels.

The Lorsch Gospels, a magnificent testimony of medieval art, is being published in a limited edition of only 333 copies world-wide with the entire edition also having the ivory carved covers in facsimile. All 472 pages are reproduced in the original format of 37 x of 27 cm with the all the magnificent miniatures. The text, all written in gold, matches the original exactly.

The editor of the scholarly commentary volume is Dr. Herman Schefers, Director of the Lorsch Museum. The commentary volume, your key to the work, provides a comprehensive interpretation of the hand-written text in the facsimile.

The publication of this facsimile edition has been made possible with the patronage of the World Heritage Convention of UNESCO.

A documentation kit containing 3 sample pages, in the original size, from the Lorsch Gospels Fine Art Facsimile Volume, plus an illustrated, 14 page information brochure, is available for $US150.