Rewriting Scripture: Latin Biblical Versification in the Later Middle Ages

This article examines how five poets of the later Middle Ages (Lawrence of Durham, Leonius of Paris, Peter Riga, Alexander of Ashby, and Petrus Episcopus) internalized and transformed the biblical narrative, while putting it in verse. All five present the process of writing poetry as an intellectual and spiritual exercise. More important, their aim is to create for their readers a helpful tool for learning the true stories of the Bible and a concise compendium of Christian doctrine. The article is divided into three parts: 1. professed reasons for writing; 2. intended readership; and 3. writing strategies. The story of Joseph and his brothers is examined in order to present the different ways in which the biblical text was modified by the versifiers. This analysis shows that for medieval writers the Bible was not only a repository of revealed truth but also an inspirational source for poetic creation.