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The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 1

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    V. Beatus’ Illustrated Commentary on Apocalypse

    A remarkable contribution, which kept the multiple themes of the Apocalypse alive during the Middle Ages, was made by Beatus, Spanish priest and probably monk, who lived during the latter part of the eighth century. He is known to church history by his determined stand against Archbishop Elipandus of Toledo, who had propagated certain heterodox views about Christ, maintaining that Christ is the Son of God only by adoption. But the fame of Beatus lies not so much in defending the orthodox view as in his commentary on the Apocalypse. This was by no means an original work; rather, it was a record of past interpretations.PFF1 574.4

    It contained: (a) a dedication of the work to Bishop Etherius of Osma; (b) a prologue attributed to St. Jerome, which in reality belongs to Priscillian; (c) a second prologue, a letter of Jerome to Anatolius introducing Jerome’s re-editing of the commentary on the Apocalypse by Victorinus of Pettau; and (d) very important, a lengthy excerpt from the commentary by Tichonius 19Neuss, op. cit., vol. 1, pp. 6, 7. In fact, a large part of the original Tichonius material can be reconstructed with the help of this Beatus commentary. Most of the Beatus manuscripts also contain Jerome’s commentary on the book of Daniel.PFF1 575.1

    1. VARIOUS PROPHETIC SYMBOLS GRAPHICALLY ILLUSTRATED

    But this would not have been sufficient to elevate the fame of Beatus, nor would it have helped him to survive the wear and tear of the centuries. His commentary had, in addition, one feature which gave it an outstanding position—it was richly illustrated. His illustrations of the entire Apocalypse probably constitute the first great enterprise of its kind, at least on Western European soil. With his pictures he brought life into the manifold figures and symbols of the book of Revelation, and kindled and influenced the imagination of generations to come. Many of these may seem rather crude to us, but they are often highly dramatic. Moreover, modern illustrators cannot claim to have made very material progress in portraying more aptly the Apocalyptic visions of John.PFF1 575.2

    The illustrations of Beatus picture the fearful struggle of the seven-headed beast and the ten-horned monster against the church, as well as the scorpion-tailed lions and dreadful locusts warring against mankind. Antichrist is shown slaying the Two Witnesses, and his fight against the Holy City is depicted, as well as the pouring out of the vials of the seven last plagues, and the binding of Satan. There are also pictured the Lamb on the throne, the holding of the four winds, and Christ’s return in the clouds-almost every aspect of the Apocalypse.PFF1 575.3

    Picture 1: ERLIEST ORIGINAL DRAWINGS OF PROPHETIC SYMBOLS EXTANT
    Beatus, eighth century spanish priest left earnest attempts to picture prophetic symbols of Daniel and Apocalypse done in colors that have scarcely faded, they afford striking evidence of the concepts of earlier times (lower), opening page of Beatus’ manu.
    Page 575
    PFF1 575

    In style these illustrations belong to mozarabic art, in which the brilliant colors of light green, yellow, red, and strong blues predominate. By admixture and clever combination these have resulted in a multitude of shades and hues, that blend into an exceedingly rich and harmonious symphony of colors. 20Neuss, op cit, vol 1, p11PFF1 577.1

    2. REALISTIC TO AN UNUSUAL DEGREE

    The Beatus Commentary, with its illustrations, was copied again and again during the centuries following. At present twenty-five manuscripts are known to exist, mostly from the tenth and eleventh centuries, though some are as late as the middle of the sixteenth. 21Ibid, p 58. One of the most beautiful manuscripts is that of Gregory of St. Sever (eleventh century), now in the Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris 22Ibid p 34 From this Pans MS the illustrations in these pages were secured.PFF1 577.2

    Since many artists have copied these illustrations, we find in different manuscripts considerable variation in the reproduction of the same themes. Often completely new ventures are made, so that a peculiarity of one version may not be found in other copies. For instance, the Antichrist is pictured by one as a knight slaying the Two Witnesses, Elias and Enoch. 23Ibid, vol 2, plates 150, 151, p CIV In another manuscript Antichrist is pictured as a one-eyed giant dressed in priestly garb, with a headgear similar to a miter, standing before the Holy City to make war against her, after the binding of Satan during the thousand years 24ibid, plate 189, p CXXXI. In other pictures we see the binding of Satan, fettered hand and foot, and the snake-dragon bound by an angel who holds in one hand the key of the abyss. 25Ibid plate 185, p CXXVIII Most of these pictures are extremely realistic.PFF1 577.3

    Neuss concludes with the thought that in the Old Spanish Apocalypse alone the horrors of the Apocalypse really came to life. Here the uncanny figures of hell fight with convincing tearfulness, and here the beasts and monsters are overcome after a realistic combat. These pictures bear witness to a time during which the book of Revelation meant absolute reality, a time when people felt that they were involved in a life-and-death struggle with the powers of evil, when Satan and Antichrist were so hated that illustrators were able to picture these figures with such abhorrence that later onlookers more than once felt themselves urged to scratch out the eyes of Satan on some of the illustrations. 26Ibid., vol. 1, 267. This presents an intensity of religious feeling hardly conceivable in our age.PFF1 577.4

    Picture 2: SELECTED DRAWINGS FROM BEATUS WORK
    Persian ram whose two horns were broken by the swift Grecian he-goat (upper left); strange prophetic symbols of Revelation 9 (upper right); women in white, and woman in purple riding the beast.
    Page 579
    PFF1 579

    3. OTHER ILLUSTRATED COMMENTARIES INDICATE INTEREST

    Besides this illustrated work of Beatus, there existed a goodly number of other illustrated commentaries on the Apocalypse, independent of this old Spanish version. There is still extant the Bamberg Apocalypse, a beautiful work, which is dated about the year 1000. 27See pages 591-593. Then there is also an Apocalypse manuscript of Paris, and another of Valenciennes. Both of these seem to have been written in the ninth or tenth centuries. And in the Apocalypse manuscript of Cambrai, mentioned in a catalogue of the Library of the Cambrai Cathedral in the tenth century, we find forty-six miniatures. Still another manuscript, kept in Truer, seems to have had its origin in northern France 28Ibid., vol. 1, pp. 247-249. likewise in the tenth century. All this proves that interest in the Apocalypse never lapsed, and its visions and symbols influenced the thinking of the times more deeply than has been generally understood.PFF1 579.1

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