The Codex Gigas (The Devil's Bible)
A single monk allegedly wrote an entire 165-pound medieval manuscript in one night to save his own life — with the devil's help, according to the legend that's followed the book for 800 years, and includes a full-page portrait of Satan drawn right into the text.
The Codex Gigas is the largest surviving medieval manuscript in the world, a massive 13th-century book containing the complete Bible alongside historical texts, medical treatises, and a full-page illustration of the devil. Medieval legend held the book was written in a single night by a monk facing execution, who made a deal with the devil to complete it — a claim modern manuscript analysis has shown to be physically impossible, though the book's genuine origins remain only partially documented.
- →The Codex Gigas measures approximately 36 inches tall and weighs around 165 pounds, making it the largest known surviving medieval manuscript in the world.
- →The book contains the complete Latin Vulgate Bible alongside numerous other texts, including historical chronicles, medical treatises, and a calendar, all in remarkably uniform, consistent handwriting throughout.
- →A full-page illustration of the devil appears within the manuscript, a striking and unusual inclusion that, combined with the book's massive scale, contributed to its popular nickname "the Devil's Bible."
- →Modern manuscript analysis and paleography estimate the actual writing process realistically took at least 20 to 30 years of sustained work by a single scribe, directly contradicting the popular one-night legend.