Quels sont les ancêtres des bibles portatives ? Enquête sur les bibles de petite taille antérieures au XIIIe siècle

The article studies the codicological and textual features of seven complete Latin Bibles (pandects) dating to the second half of the 12th century and of different origins (England, France and southern Italy) and places their production within that of complete medieval bibles. During the 12th century the majority of Bibles are large manuscripts, often in two or three volumes, while these specimens are significantly smaller than the average. They represent the first attempts to produce Bibles in a handy format and probably intended for personal reading. The article focuses on the pandects’ layout and compares the different strategies implemented to reduce the size while preserving readability. It attempts to assess whether these manuscripts are a prelude to the production of portable bibles of the 13th century.