[from UK’s Daily Mail ]

Europe’s oldest book: St Cuthbert’s gospel which survived pillaging Vikings and lay in his coffin for centuries is sold for £9m

The St Cuthbert Gospel (formerly known as the Stonyhurst Gospel) is the oldest intact European book. Made in the late-7th century, the manuscript contains a copy of the Gospel of St John, and was apparently placed in the coffin of St Cuthbert (c. 635–687)

• The seventh century St Cuthbert Gospel is on show at the London library
• Book is a copy of the Gospel of St John
• It was buried alongside St Cuthbert, an early English Christian leader, on the island of Lindisfarne off the coast of Northumberland in around AD698
• Coffin was moved off island to escape Viking raiders and taken to Durham
• Book was found when the coffin was opened at Durham Cathedral in 1104
• Its original red leather binding survives today
• Now bought by the British Library for £9million

The digitized manuscripts can be found here.