Codex Gigas or the giant book is a medieval manuscript with the largest size that still exist. This book was written at the beginning of the 13th century on the orders of Benedict's monastery at podlazice in Bohemia. Currently the book is stored at the Swedish Royal Library in Stockholm. It takes energy to lift the two librarians book. This book is often called "the bible the devil" because of the large size of a pictorial illustration of the devil in it.
Codex was placed in a place made of wood, covered with leather and decorated with metal. Height 92 cm, width 50 cm and a thickness of 22 cm. At first, the codex has 320 sheets of manuscript. However, 8 sheets of it thrown away. Not known who throw 8 sheets and for what purpose. There are allegations that dumped 8 sheets may contain the rules of Benedict's monastic orders. Codex weight nearly 75 pounds. Sheets are used to write this codex is a skin that comes from 160 calf tail.
Monastery where the codex was made was destroyed in the 15th century. Note that there is in the codex codex shows that manufacturing is about the year 1229 AD After writing, the codex was later transferred to the Cistercians Monastery Sedlec and eventually purchased by Benedict Monastery in Byoevnov. From the year 1477-1593, the codex is housed at the library in Broumov until finally brought to Prague in 1594 to become part of the collections of Rudolf II. On 24 September 2007, the Codex Gigas is brought back to Prague after 359 years.
The contents of the codex is "a sum of the Benedictine order's knowledge", "The War of the Jews" writings of Josephus, a list of the saints, the method for determining the date of the celebration of Easter, the whole Bible in Latin pre-vulgate, Isidore of Seville's encyclopedia Etymologiae , Cosmas of Prague's Chronicle of Bohemia, various tractates (from history, etymology and physiology), a calendar with nekrologium, list the name of the monks at the monastery Podlaice, magic formulas and other records.
On page 290, there is an image of Satan with a height of about 50 cm. A few pages before the image is written on a sheet of blackened skin and made with a dark character, which makes it different from the overall contents of the codex.
According to legend, the author of the codex is a monk who violate the rules of the monastery and punished with a bound on the wall in a standing position for life. This monk begged forgiveness from the extraordinary punishment was cruel. In return he promised to create a book that would glorify the monastery and the knowledge of mankind forever, and he promised to finish it in just one night. Toward midnight, the monk became doubted whether he could finish it alone. So he sold his soul to the devil for a rescue. Satan then finish the manuscript. A tribute to the devil who helped him, the monk added the devil image into the codex. Despite the legend that involves the devil, in the time of the inquisition, this codex was kept by the monastery and studied by many scholars to this day.
