The Book of Kells (sometimes known as the Book of Columba) is an illuminated manuscript in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. It was transcribed by Celtic monks ca. 800.
The manuscript takes its name from the Abbey of Kells that was its home for centuries.
Today, it is on permanent display at the Trinity College Library, Dublin. The library usually displays two of the current four volumes at a time, one showing a major illustration and the other showing typical text pages.
It is widely regarded as Ireland’s finest national treasure.
