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| Fol. 112v: Two exquisitely executed birds in pink and blue surround the text, which is the concluding text of the first part of the book. At the bottom of the page, the illumination consists of two fantasy beasts, whose intertwined necks surround the concluding phrases of the first part of the Moreh nevukhim. What has inspired the illuminator and the scribe to introduce these birds is unclear; nothing in the contents of the text gives any associations. |
Fol. 114r: This is the most famous, and most often reproduced page in the whole codex. The panel is found at the opening part of the second part of the book, which deals with establishing the proofs of God’s existence, incorporeity and oneness. The central motif is a group of men, one of them with an astrolabe, generally perceived as scientists (and sometimes as Aristotle himself and his disciples). The border of the panel shows different birds, which is a recurring motif throughout the codex. |
Fol. 202r: The main motif of the panel at the top of the page is four creatures: man/angel, lion, bull, and eagle. They are mentioned in Ez. 1 (Ezekiel’s vision of the Heavenly Throne), a text common to Jews and Christians. In Jewish tradition this text – which is the topic of this and the following pages – is central to the understanding of God’s essence; in Christian art the four beings have come to symbolize the four evangelists. |