Sacred writing

The opening words of St Matthew's Gospel in this 9th-century Gospel book from St Gallen contain one of the most common medieval 'nomina sacra' (sacred names), 'IHV XPI', an abbreviation for 'Iesu Christi', the Latin genitive case of Jesus Christ. The lines on top of 'IHV' and 'XPI' mark the abbreviation. Switzerland, St Gallen, Kantonsbibliothek, Vadian…