Rivers of Ink: A light and sound journey through the world's oldest Bible and its North East roots

Codex Amiatinus

Source: Durham University

A striking new light and sound installation is touring the North East this February, telling the remarkable story of Codex Amiatinus, the oldest intact complete Bible in existence.

The Rivers of Ink installation has been created by London-based artists Karen Monid and Ross Ashton of The Projection Studio in collaboration with Durham University researchers.

Through video projection mapping, original sound and a unique approach to storytelling, the artwork traces the long history of writing and book-making, culminating in the creation of Codex Amiatinus in early eighth-century Northumbria.

The free, public tour will see Rivers of Ink visit venues across the North East, starting at St Laurence's Church in High Pittington on February 11 and concluding at Durham Cathedral on February 21-23.

The artwork will be projected onto a large-scale model of an ancient writing tablet covered with papyrus sheets, weaving together sound, multilingual voices and textures drawn from original historical sources.

Some screenings will be followed by talks from Durham University experts.

PhD researcher Lauren Randall and Professor Francis Watson, of Durham University's Department of Theology and Religion, have extensively researched Codex Amiatinus. Their expertise has helped shape the Rivers of Ink artwork as well as resources to engage with school pupils along the tour route.

Lauren said: "The Rivers of Ink tour is going to be fun and engaging for people of all ages. Codex Amiatinus is probably the most important book ever made that we still have today. It's got such a huge legacy to it, and it was made right here in North East England. But unlike the Lindisfarne Gospels, people don't necessarily know about it, and we feel it's something that we absolutely should be celebrating.

"When people come away from the tour, we hope they will feel a renewed sense of pride that this incredible book comes from the North East."

At the heart of the project is Codex Amiatinus itself. Produced at the twin monasteries of Wearmouth and Jarrow in the early 700s, the manuscript is a complete Latin Bible contained within a single, vast volume. It survives today as the oldest complete Bible in any language.

It required hundreds of animal skins to produce, along with the labour of highly skilled scribes, artists and bookbinders. Physically, the book is enormous and handling it would have required multiple people.

The original Codex Amiatinus is now held in the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence, Italy.

Its origins were concealed for centuries due to an alteration to the manuscript's dedication page obscuring its true provenance.
It was not until the nineteenth century that researchers rediscovered its origins in the North East of England.

The Rivers of Ink artwork presents the manuscript as the culmination of centuries of writing culture.

It begins with early forms of writing including papyrus and fragments of early Christian texts from Egypt, through to manuscripts of medieval Europe. The title reflects the vast quantities of ink, labour and chains of thought passed from one person to the next, flowing across generations to make such works possible.

Award-winning artists and designers Ross Ashton and Karen Monid of The Projection Studio created the sound and visuals for Rivers of Ink, which included digitally restoring Codex Amiatinus's dedication page back to its original state.

Karen said: "This project has presented a wonderful opportunity for Ross and myself to look at the human story behind the history of writing: what the scribes thought, went through and achieved to produce the documents they have left us with today.

"It filled us with a genuine sense of awe when we realised the key influence Codex Amiatinus has had on the western world for hundreds of years.

"The North East is rightly proud of this and we feel privileged to have developed a work that can take an experience of this book back to the people."

Throughout the tour, audiences can explore the installation and hear talks by Professor Francis Watson and Durham University experts in theology, history, archaeology and medieval studies.

Rivers of Ink will visit the following venues:

February 11 - St Laurence's Church, High Pittington.

February 13 and 14 - Church of St Mary the Virgin, Holy Island.

February 16 - Blackfriars Restaurant, Friars Street, Newcastle Upon Tyne (pre-booked only).

February 18 and 19 - St Paul's Church, Jarrow, Church Bank.

February 21 to 23 Galilee Chapel, Durham Cathedral.

For more details, including venue opening times and further information on the academic talks, visit: Rivers of Ink - Durham University.