Folio 1v - Creation of the waters and the firmament
And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament and divided the waters which were over the firmament from those which were under the firmament. And it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And evening and morning were the second day' (see Genesis, 1:6-8).
Commentary

Commentary

Text

Genesis 1:6-8.

Illustration

the Division of the Waters. God stands frontally in the centre of the picture wearing a red tunic and blue cloak. He does not have a beard. The gesture with his right hand emphatically sweeps beyond the circles. He holds a book in his left hand. Behind him are three circles decorated with various shades of blue semicircles. God's halo reaches to the top of the sky, represented by blue wavy lines. Below God are the turquoise ripples of the sea. The burnished gold background is contained within a frame. Two illustrations of the Creation sequence are missing, showing the the plants and trees and the creation of the moon and stars. They are represented by Ashmole 1511, f.5r and f.5v. Initial type 3

Transcription and Translation

Transcription

Dixit quoque deus: Fiat firmamentum in medio aqua\rum, et dividat aquas ab aquis. Et fecit deus firma\mentum, divisitque aquas que erant super firmamen\tum ab his que erant sub firmamento. Et fac\tum est ita. Vocavitque deus firmamentum celum, et\ factum est vespere et mane dies secundus.\

Translation

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament and divided the waters which were over the firmament from those which were under the firmament. And it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And evening and morning were the second day' (see Genesis, 1:6-8).
Folio 1v - Creation of the waters and the firmament | The Aberdeen Bestiary | The University of Aberdeen