Evangelium Longum
Today, the original evangeliary is located in the abbey library of Saint Gall and can be found in the Codex Sangallensis under Cod.
Dating to the year 894 is confirmed by a tale about the origin of the Evangelium longum that was written around 1050 and belongs to the Casus Sancti Galli by Ekkehard IV.
In the Casus Sancti Galli, Ekkehard comments on these plates as follows: "These were, however, former wax tablets to write on, like the ones that Charlemagne, according to his biographer, usually placed beside his bed when he went to sleep".
When Hatto had to accompany King Arnulf (850-899) to Italy, he asked his friend, Abbot Salomo of Saint Gall (890-920), to keep his treasure save during his absence.
In the corners of the frame, the evangelists (John, Matthew, Mark and Lucas) are depicted, while their symbols (eagle, winged man, lion and bull) are situated directly around Christ.
According to Anton von Euw, the four evangelists represent the "Quadriga Virtutum" from Alcuin’s Doctrine of Virtue on whom man is supposed to soar up to the throne of heaven.
Finally, the sun and the moon, personified by Sol and Luna, are depicted at the upper border of the image, while at the bottom, the ocean and the earth are represented by Oceanus and Tellus mater.
The bars bear the following inscription: HIC RESIDET XPC VIRTVTVM STEMMATE SEPTVS (Here Christ sits enthroned, surrounded by the wreath of virtues).
[12] The text of the Evangelium longum was written by the monk Sintram, of whom Ekkehard says that "his fingers were admired by all the world" and that his "elegant writing’s consistency is captivating".
[16] When including the two mirror blades attached to the front and back book cover as well as the two endpapers, the Evangelium longum consists of 154 parchment sheets.
Beginning at the first endpaper, the sheets were paginated by the abbey librarian Ildefons von Arx with Arabic numbers (1-304) in red ink.
From pages 6 to 10, the Evangelium longum recounts the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, including Jesus’s lineage and his birth from the Virgin Mary.
On page 234, the second part of the Evangelium longum begins with the inscription INCIPIVNT LECTIONES EVANGELIOR[VM] DE SINGVLIS FESTIVITATIBVS S[AN]C[T]ORVM.
[22] The material value left aside, the Evangelium longum is moreover one of the manuscripts whose development history is the most closely documented (from before 900 until today), which makes it a work of the highest documentary value.
[23] Finally, the Evangelium longum symbolises, according to David Ganz, the connection of Saint Gall’s monastery chronicle to the court of Charlemagne as well as the then close bond between the abbey and the Archbishopric of Mainz.
