Exploring the Book of Kells

The Book of Kells, a version of the Gospels written by the monks of ancient Ireland, consists of 680 pages of handwritten and gorgeously illustrated work that has survived 1200 years. Writing in the scriptorium was a central part of life in the monastery. The monks prepared the skins for the vellum, and the inks, quills and brushes were all handcrafted in the monastery. Here, George Otto Simms tells about the life of these monks, why and how they made the famous Book of Kells, and in a simple an…