Books,+Manuscripts

**Books and Manuscripts**


Books and manuscripts were used mostly for religious reasons and to record events during medieval times. It began because people needed records of the past, ideas of noted scholars, and for religious writings. Religious writings being the bible, Qur'an, the Torah, etc. All books were manuscripts during Medieval times until people started to use printing because it was easier than writing by hand. Printing became "widely spread" as you could say mainly during the 1400s. People treasured the books and manuscripts because they used calligraphy/illuminated letters and they were religious books so that influenced its development. When books were worn out people had to replace them with handmade copies, so books were carefully used.

If books and manuscripts were not translated and copied, great works of ancient and medieval times would not have existed in times like today. I don't think there was an influence on this. I think the scholars just thought the works would not have survived if they were not copied. Probably if scholars did not exist works of Virgil, Aristotle, Ptolemy, Homer, and many more would not be exposed to times today. These scholars worked libraries and scriptorias to write, copy, decorate, or bound books. I think this began because the scholars were thinking ahead of what will happen to the great works. So we should be thankful that these scholars copied and translated the works.

Works Cited
 *  “Books, and Manuscripts.” The Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia For Students. Ed. William Chester Jordan. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1996. 99-104. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 8 Mar. 2010.
 *  “Classical Traditions in the Middle Ages.” The Middle Ages. Ed. William Jordan. Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1996. 199-200. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 Mar. 2010.
 *  “’Illuminated Manuscripts Mary Mag Dalen Announcing Resurrection.’” Wikimedia Commons. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Feb. 2008.

JN 