Biblia pauperum

The 'Bible of the Poor', which consisted of a series of captioned miniatures illustrating the parallels between the Old and New Testaments.

Literally, the 'Bible of the Poor', it consisted of a series of captioned miniatures illustrating the parallels between the Old and New Testaments (see typology). Scenes from the life of Christ are accompanied by Old Testament scenes and figures of the prophets. Although few have survived, such books are known to have been very popular during the later Middle Ages, especially as a tool for religious instruction among poorer clergy and those members of lay society who, although often quite wealthy, were not especially learned. The Bible Moralisée is another type of picture book based on the Bible.

  • German:
    Armenbibel
  • Portuguese:
    bíblia dos pobres

Michelle Brown. Understanding Illuminated Manuscripts (Malibu, CA: J. Paul Getty Museum in association with the British Library, c1994).