The Psalter of Cassiane

"Hearken, O God, unto my supplication; attend unto my prayer ..."

The Psalter of Cassiane

The famous Psalter of Cassiane [top right photo ] has leaves that measure only 14 x 8.5 centimetres (5 1/2 by 3 3/8 inches). In the fourteenth century, the Nun Cassiane was able to write the entire 151 Psalms of the Septuagint text on only six leaves. She wrote two columns per page. Each column measures only 38 millimetres (1 1/2 inches) in width.

This photograph shows the entire Psalm 59 and the first verse of Psalm 60, ‘Hearken, O God, unto my supplication; attend unto my prayer.’ She took advantage of standard scribal abbreviations, but every accent and every iota subscript is in place. It is an astonishing feat of writing at the smallest possible size.

In the nineteenth century, the Psalter of Cassiane was kept in a side chapel of the monastery basilica and shown to visitors. In 1836, John Lloyd Stephens, from New York city, visited Sinai. He wrote, ‘In one of the chapels are a copy of the Evangelists, written in letters of gold by the Emperor Theodosius, and portraits of the four evangelists and the twelve apostles, and all the psalms of David, written in an inconceivably small space by a young virgin who came out and died in the desert.’

John Lloyd Stephens, Incidents of Travel in Egypt, Arabia Petraea, and the Holy Land, first published in 1837.

From Fr. Justin's Blog: http://www.fatherjustinsblog.info/archives/7441

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Psalm 60 (61)

Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For Thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.

I will abide in Thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of Thy wings. (Selah.)

For Thou, O God, hast heard my vows: Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear Thy name.

Thou wilt prolong the king's life: and his years as many generations.

He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth,

which may preserve him.

So will I sing praise unto Thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.