Orthodox liturgical roll fragments (Liturgy of St. Basil)
ca. 1040 CE
three parchment fragments
Berat, Albania (?)
Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts
University of Pennsylvania Libraries (Ms. Roll 2062)
These three fragments of an 11th-century Byzantine roll preserve the words of the Liturgy of Saint Basil, written in Greek, a core element of Orthodox worship. Read in a continuous manner from recto to verso, the text cycles through prayers, some still used today. Gaps between fragments and rodent damage hint at the roll's journey across centuries. The roll may have originated near Berat, Albania. In 2020, Dhoksia Kuchova’s family generously donated these fragments, honoring their heritage and her courage in bringing them to the U.S. before 1925.
—Teni Real