T’oros Roslin Gospels, The Ancestors of Christ, Walters Manuscript W.539, fol. 15r

The names are the following, beginning from the left and going down each of the four columns: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judas, Salmon, Booz, Esrom, Aram, Aminadab, Thamar, Rachab, Ruth, David, Solomon, Roboam, Ozias, Manasses, Josias, Bathsheba, Joatham, Achaz, Ezekias, Amon, and Jechonias. This manuscript was made in 1262 by T’oros Roslin, an extremely prominent illuminator, who extended the range of manuscript illuminations by introducing a whole cycle of images into the gospels rather than, as was traditional, only including the portraits of the evangelists. This particular manuscript was created at the scriptorium of Hromkla, which became the leading artistic center of Armenian Cilicia under the rule of catholicos Constantine I (1221-1267). As an extensive colophon starting on fol. 406v explains, T’oros created this manuscript under commission from the nephew of Constantine, a priest also named T’oros. It is one of seven known manuscripts bearing T’oros Roslin’s signature, and it is the most sumptuous of them all, with 15 miniatures and 67 smaller illustrations. The style of the images suggests that T’oros had several assistants helping with the illustrations, though the overall q