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Sacra Parallela

9th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Saint John of Damascus (ca. 675–749) was an ardent defender of the use of icons; his writings were widely influential in the Byzantine world. He is associated with the Monastery of Mar Saba, near Jerusalem, one of the Christian communities that flourished alongside those of the Muslim faith during the early Islamic period. John and his family—Arab Christians—served the Umayyads, the first generation of Muslim rulers of Byzantium’s southern provinces.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Sacra Parallela
  • Date: 9th century
  • Geography: Made in Constaninople (?)
  • Medium: Black, red, and brown ink on parchment; 394 folios
  • Dimensions: 14 5/16 x 10 7/16 x 5 7/8 in. (36.3 x 26.5 x 15 cm)
  • Classification: Manuscripts
  • Credit Line: Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris (Grec 923)
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters