Wearmouth-Jarrow comprised two distinct monastic institutions: St. Peter at Wearmouth, founded by the noble Northumbrian Benedict Biscop, and St. Paul at Jarrow, established under Benedict’s guidance by the Anglo-Saxon Ceolfrith. The Codex Amiatinus was commissioned by Ceolfrith as a gift for the pope, but tragically, Ceolfrith passed away en route to Rome in 716, preventing the manuscript from reaching its destination. Despite this, it’s notable that the Anglo-Saxons, who had acquired literacy through Roman missionaries, were now producing manuscripts for Rome themselves.
The dedication of their churches to Roman saints, Peter and Paul, highlights the significance of Rome to the monks at Wearmouth-Jarrow. Both saints held pivotal roles in Roman Christianity, with Peter symbolizing the papacy’s authority and Paul being a prominent apostle who met martyrdom in Rome. Benedict Biscop’s numerous journeys to Rome underscored his devotion to the city, evident in his efforts to bring back Roman books, relics, and even skilled artisans to construct Roman-style churches at his monastery.
These Roman influences left a profound mark, notably seen in the Codex Amiatinus. Unlike the traditional Anglo-Saxon style seen in the Book of Durrow, the Amiatinus manuscript displays a greater diversity of angles and dynamic compositions, employing techniques like foreshortening to create depth and perspective. Its imagery, particularly the Ezra miniature, reflects a Mediterranean approach to art, emphasizing literacy with depictions of books and writing.
The monks of Wearmouth-Jarrow’s affinity for Rome was more than just an aesthetic preference; it was a deliberate assertion of allegiance. This allegiance was particularly significant given Northumbria’s history of dual conversions, first by Roman missionaries and later by Irish monks. The synod at Whitby in 664 settled disputes between the Irish and Roman traditions, with Roman practices prevailing. The extreme Roman character of the Codex Amiatinus thus served as a declaration of Wearmouth-Jarrow’s alignment with Roman Christianity, asserting their place among the victors of theological disputes.
The fervent devotion of Wearmouth-Jarrow to Rome led them to strive for a level of Romanism that even surpassed that of the pope. While such intricacies might have been suitable for a papal offering, they might have seemed unfamiliar to most English monks and laypeople, who were accustomed to a blend of insular and Mediterranean traditions in their early medieval Christianity. The Book of Durrow epitomized an exceptionally insular manifestation of this fusion, while the Codex Amiatinus represented a markedly Romanized approach.
In contrast, the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Franks Casket, both from Northumbria, demonstrate the rich middle ground between these two extremes. The Lindisfarne Gospels, created by Bishop Eadfrith of Lindisfarne between 698 and 721, stand as contemporaries to the Codex Amiatinus. Notably, both manuscripts depict figures like Ezra and Matthew in similar settings, seated on cushions and writing in open books, although with minor iconographic differences due to their respective subject matter.
Despite these similarities, the Lindisfarne Gospels differ markedly from the Codex Amiatinus in style. The Lindisfarne miniatures, more characteristic of insular art, feature flatter compositions and a reluctance to use nuanced shading for depth. The Lindisfarne Gospels also incorporate elaborate carpet pages, a hallmark of insular manuscripts absent in the Amiatinus.
Moreover, the Lindisfarne Gospels emphasize the magical power of the written word, evident in their ornately decorated initial pages and inscriptions. These inscriptions, written in Latin and Greek scripts despite Greek’s rarity in early medieval England, highlight the prestige associated with the language of the New Testament. The use of Greek script, despite its unreadability to most, underscores the mystical significance attributed to written words in insular Christianity.
In essence, the Lindisfarne Gospels exemplify the insular transformation of Mediterranean influences, emphasizing the mystical potency of writing and the fusion of diverse cultural elements in early medieval English Christianity.