Emperor's Bible

The Emperor's Bible (Uppsala, UUB ms C 93; Swedish: kejsarbibeln), also known as Codex Caesareus, Codex Caesareus Upsaliensis or the Goslar Gospels,[1] is an 11th-century illuminated manuscript currently in Uppsala University Library, Sweden.

It was commissioned by Emperor Henry III and donated by him to Goslar Cathedral in Germany, where it remained until the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648).

The book later appeared again in the possession of Swedish diplomat and civil servant Gustaf Celsing the Elder [sv].

It is one of four large gospel books made in Echternach which are still preserved, the others being the Codex Aureus of Echternach (today in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg, Germany), the Golden Gospels of Henry III (today in El Escorial, Spain) and a third book which is only partially preserved (today in the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris, France).

The book eventually passed to his son, Ulric Celsing [sv] and upon his death in 1805 it was bequeathed to Uppsala University, where it is still kept.

Each gospel text is preceded by a full-page miniature showing the respective Evangelist together with his symbol.

The other shows, as mentioned above, the emperor presenting the book to the patron saints of Goslar Cathedral.