The Temptation of Jesus in the Book of Kells, a 9th-century manuscript, has gone on display in the Old Library as part of the Book of Kells Experience.
The artwork depicts Satan, with cloven feet and a twisting tongue, beneath a larger Jesus figure on a shingle-roofed temple resembling an Irish shrine. The 90-minute experience includes access to the Book of Kells, Long Room, Gaia, and a digital exhibition, with tickets bookable at www.thebookofkellsexperience.ie.
Microscopic analysis revealed multiple stabs on the devil’s image, indicating somebody once an emotional reaction to the depiction in the document’s 1300 year history. Ticket revenue supports Trinity College Dublin’s academic mission, research, heritage conservation, and sustainability efforts.
