{"id":14531,"date":"2020-01-19T14:38:49","date_gmt":"2020-01-19T19:38:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-utk-volumes.pantheonsite.io\/?post_type=post&p=14531"},"modified":"2020-01-19T14:38:49","modified_gmt":"2020-01-19T19:38:49","slug":"exhibit-unveiled-four-centuries-of-apocalyptic-visions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/old.lib.utk.edu\/news\/2020\/01\/exhibit-unveiled-four-centuries-of-apocalyptic-visions\/","title":{"rendered":"Exhibit: \u201cUnveiled: Four Centuries of Apocalyptic Visions\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Apocalypse 2020<\/a> has arrived. The University of Tennessee has organized a semester of courses, lectures, and exhibitions around the theme of the Apocalypse. As part of Apocalypse 2020, the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives presents Unveiled: Four Centuries of Apocalyptic Visions<\/em>, an exhibit of facsimile reproductions of medieval interpretations of the Book of Revelation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drawn from the UT Libraries\u2019 rare\nbooks collection, this selection of apocalypse manuscripts, reproduced in\nfacsimile, spans four centuries and tells the story of John the Evangelist\u2019s\nvisions through Biblical text, theological commentaries, and pictures that not\nonly illustrate but also often interpret the prophecies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written near the end of the first century, the Apocalypse, or Book of Revelation, was written by John of Patmos (6-100 AD). The story\u2019s rich symbolism, complex narrative, and striking visual imagery make it one of the most significant books of the Christian Bible and a popular source of inspiration for medieval illuminators.\u00a0 With over 130 illustrated Apocalypse manuscripts still in existence, the influence of this last book of the New Testament on medieval culture was extensive. In the Middle Ages, the only book of the bible to have more illustrated single-volumes was Psalms. In addition, the majority of illustrated Apocalypses include significant numbers of images, demonstrating the medieval interest in \u201cvision\u201d as a means to attain spiritual understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n