This tiny copy of the Gospel of John — only about 5 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches — was placed in the coffin of St. Cuthbert (d. 687) when he was reinterred at the abbey of Lindisfarne in 698. The coffin was opened again and the manuscript discovered at Durham in 1104. The book is still in its original 7th-century binding.

The Gospel is written in the "Capitular Uncial" script of the abbeys of Wearmouth-Jarrow, so called because it was more commonly used for chapter headings. This version of Uncial was specific to the scriptorium of Wearmouth-Jarrow, but was modeled on 6th-century Italian Uncial exemplars. Because it is modeled on much-earlier versions of Uncial, this hand does not display features we might otherwise expect from Uncial written as late as the turn of the 8th century, such as symmetrical, exaggerated bows on m or an exaggerated leftward lean to the stem of d. In contrast to the mains script in the Codex Amiatinus and the other great bibles created at Weamouth-Jarrow under Abbot Ceolfrith, Capitular Uncial displays relatively little contrast between thick and thin strokes. The penstrokes in this manuscript are closer in style to those of Rustic Capitals than Square Capitals. However, the m used by the scribe of this manuscript is nearly identical to that found in the Ceolfrith pandects, with a round, lobe-like left bowl and a hairstroke dipping into a more open curve on the right lobe.

Layout is per cola et commata — with each sense unit starting on a new line, as recommended by Jerome. The consistent word-separation is a sign that this is an English manuscript in imitation of Italian models, not an Italian original.

Ruling is dry-point, with double vertical rules at the margins to guide the start of each line on either side of the folio. New cola and commata start in the ruled marginal space, while text that carries over from the previous line's sense unit is inset from the left margin. The two vertical rules for the left margin on the verso of this folio are visible at the right of the written area on this page. The ruling was done after the quires were folded, which is an Insular method of preparing the writing surface.

At the top of fol. 1r is an erased and largely illegible inscription (not transcribed below) that apparently recorded the miraculous discovery of the manuscript in Cuthbert's coffin.