he Vatican Library has begun digitising its priceless collection of ancient manuscripts dating from the origins of the Church.
The first stage of the project will cover some 3,000 handwritten documents over the next four years.
The cost – more than $20m (£12m) – will be borne by Japan’s NTT Data technology company.
Very encouraging, although I’m not sure how much is new in this report. Perhaps it’s the Japances connection and the goal of fully digitalizing the vast horde of precious ancient manuscripts in just four years.
Anyway, once the project is completed, it will be a huge boon to scholars. As a NT scholar, I eagerly look forward to being able to access online the precious Codex Vaticanus (“B” in most printed Greek NTs). And as someone interested in liturgical history, I likewise can’t wait to be able to inspect online the great ancient sacramentaries that are so crucial to understanding the complex evolution of the eucaristic liturgies in the middle ages, not least the unique Old Gelasian Sacramentary (copied circa AD 750 near Paris, but based on a much earlier Roman liturgy maybe 150-200 years older).
How interesting that it’s a Japanese company that has undertaken the big challenge, when Japan is such an extremely secularized nation. Apparently the job paid well. Well, however much this digitalization project costs, it will be worth it.
Eagerly,
David Handy+