When was this made?
The Morgan Bible was made in the mid-thirteenth century, during the reign of King Louis IX (1226-70). Its estimated production date lies between the years 1244-1254, because this was the time surrounding Louis’s first crusade. This time period is significant because the Gothic style was transforming the appearance of cities and libraries, while the French illumination of manuscripts entered its most memorable period.
The Morgan Bible can be compared to other manuscripts commissioned by the king during this time, including the Saint Louis Psalter, the Arsenal Old Testament, and moralized Bibles. These manuscripts reflect the same cycle of the Old Testament that is presented in the Morgan Bible.
The Morgan Bible presents biblical heroes in contemporary dress and in the armor of French crusaders. The style of clothing on the biblical figures and the visual references to other works commissioned under King Louis IX, such as fleur-de-lis crowns and scepters and the architecture of Saint-Chapelle, further support the timeframe of the mid-1240s to early 1250s.