This is folio 291v from the Book of Kells, the magnificent Gospel that was probably produced on the Scottish island of Iona where Saint Columbia died in AD 597. It has been dated to between AD 725 and AD 825. The Book of Kells is often regarded as a form of holy relic rather than a practical liturgical text. It is the most lavishly ornamented of the so-called Insular Gospels produced in Ireland, Scotland and northern England in the 7^th and 8^th century. The richness of color was achieved by the use of precious materials such as lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, which was ground to power to create the brilliant blue colors. The Christian motifs, which are derived from the Mediteranean tradition, are transformed by the Celtic love of rich stylized ornamentation. For instance, the halo of John the Evangelical on this page forms part of a larger brooch-like design similar in style to period gold work.