Around the image is a type of illumination called a harag, which means the tendril of a climbing plant. On this page is an image of Saints Luke and John, the Evangelists, both holding squares of parchment on which to write their gospels. This church flourished under the Emperor Iyasu I Yohannes, under whose reign (1682–1706) Christian art and learning flourished. The scribe who wrote the text and the artist who decorated it are unknown however, it is likely that the manuscript was created in Gondar, probably for the local church, Dabra Birham Selasse, meaning ‘Mount of the Light of the Trinity’ which stands on high ground just outside the city.
