The Anglo-Norman Bible’s books of Kings. A Critical Edition

(BL Royal 1 C III)

Brent A. Pitts, Heather Pagan (eds)

Pages: 280 p.
Size:156 x 234 mm
Illustrations:1 b/w

Language(s):English
Publication Year:2026

Pre-order*

€ 120,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE

ISBN: 978-2-503-62281-1
Paperback
Forthcoming (Oct/26)

Forthcoming

€ 120,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE

ISBN: 978-2-503-62282-8
E-book
Forthcoming
*How to pre-order?

The rise and fall of the kings and kingdoms of Israel and Judah are the focus of the two books of Kings.

Subject(s)

BIO

Brent A. Pitts has edited numerous geographical and biblical works in Anglo-Norman, including the Anglo-Norman Bible’s books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, and Tobit. He is professor emeritus of French at Meredith College, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Heather Pagan is Senior Lecturer at the University of Westminster and former editor at the Anglo-Norman Dictionary. She has edited a number of medieval glossaries and chronicles including the Anglo-Norman Brut.

Summary

The Anglo-Norman Bible’s Books of Kings open with the death of King David and the resulting succession crisis. They relate many familiar stories including the episode of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, the building of the temple, the ministry and miracles of the prophets Elijah and Elisha and, finally, the destruction of the temple and the fall of Israel and Judah.

The text of the ANB’s Books of Kings is extant in two mid-fourteenth century English manuscripts: British Library Royal 1 C III (L) and Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS français 1 (P). L, a modest production, belonged to Reading’s Benedictine abbey before entering the royal library in 1530 and is particularly notable for its use of glossing in French, Middle English and Latin, throughout the manuscript to clarify the Anglo-Norman text. P is an illustrated manuscript commissioned for the fifth baron de Welles, John, by his mother, Maud, daughter of William, Lord Ros. The Welles-Ros manuscript later passed into the ownership of Louis XII of France.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements
Abbreviations

Introduction
The Books of Kings: Summary and Structure
The Development of the Anglo-Norman Bible and the Books of Kings
Reception of the Books of Kings in Medieval Literature
Manuscripts of the Anglo-Norman Bible’s Books of Kings
Relationship of L and P
Language of the Text
Morphology
Orthography
Syntax
Lexis
Glosses
Editorial Considerations
Bibliography
The Anglo-Norman Bible’s Books of Kings
Text edition
Rejected Readings
Reading and Critical Notes

Appendices
A. Comparison of L and P
B. Divergent Word-Choice in L and P
C. Geographical Names in the Anglo-Norman Bible’s
Books of Kings
D. Personal Names in the Anglo-Norman Bible’s
Books of Kings

Glossary