CODEX
[related: Codex Gigas, Nag Hammadi Codex, Berlin Codex, Sophia of Jesus Christ]
A compendium of information often bordering on the absurdly comprehensive. The term codex was first used in reference to ancient religious manuscripts of substantial length and ambition. Core to the idea of a codex is the essential unattainability of the task, especially when composed by a single individual. Perhaps no codex better emblemizes this trait than the Codex Gigas - the largest known illuminated manuscript in the world. Dating to the 13th-century, the Codex Gigas was reportedly created in haste by a scribe who had violated his monastic vows and was sentenced to be walled alive. In exchange for his freedom, he agreed to compile a book containing the entirety of human knowledge in a single day. As midnight approached, he brokered a deal with the fallen angel Lucifer to complete the book. As penance, the monk included a full page portrait of Lucifer, depicted with a turquoise face, an androgynous body, no tail, and long red nails, leading the Codex Gigas to be dubbed the "Devil's Bible". Confusion continues to surround the creation of the Codex Gigas - scientists maintain the work contains a fluid and unified writing style showing no signs of age, disease, or mood in the scribe. The materials of its construction show no discrepancy in age or treatment, leading to the conclusion that the Codex Gigas was composed in a very short period of time by a single individual. However, in tests to recreate the work, it is estimated that at least 52 years would be required to reproduce the calligraphy, illustrations, and embellishments contained within its leather bounds. Additional prominent ancient codices include the Berlin Codex [1]- purchased in 1896 by Carl Reinhardt wrapped in feathers at a niche wall at a Christian burial site - and the Nag Hammadi Codex [2], a set of Gnostic texts discovered in Upper Egypt in 1945. Codec, a derivation of the term codex, refers to a device used for the coding and decoding of information, often digital.
- ↑ Contained the earliest known documentation of the highly mystical Sophia of Jesus Christ.
- ↑ Not technically a codex, but instead a codex of various codices. Along with containing material now known as the "Gnostic Bible", including the Apocryphon of John (as differentiated from the Apocalypse of John AKA The book of Revelations, which was studied in depth by the Freudian disciple Carl Jung), the Nag Hammadi also strangely contains an early draft of Plato's Republic.