It was one of the most talked about discoveries after the Shroud of Turin. However, unlike the Shroud, considered by experts as a genuine relic, the Codex Gigas (Latin for Giant Book) somewhat bordered on the opposite end of the “religious” spectrum. The medieval manuscript written around 13th century by a monk condemned to be brick-walled alive for violating his vows asked the help of the Devil to complete the entire book in just one night, in exchange for his soul. In gratitude, he dedicated a full page of the book vividly illustrating his mentor’s image. Thus, the Codex Gigas was otherwise known as the “Devil’s Bible”.
Paradox
The Devil’s Bible contained old Latin demonic spells, rites of exorcism and incantations against evil spirits and some other historical works. Surprisingly, the book featured the complete Vulgate version of the Bible. The first chapter started with “In principio…” obviously a phrase from Genesis – “In the beginning…” How someone could wrote the holy verses of the Old and New Testaments alongside violent incantations was one question that needed elucidation.
Certainly, somewhere among the cursed, haunting texts that sprang from the writings of a doomed monk, answers lurked.
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