Perhaps one of the most intriguing books of the Christian Bible is its last, Revelations, a collection of visions and prophecies about the end of the world. It talks of multi-headed beasts, nations falling, Christians being persecuted, and the final judgment.
So in his fascination with the book, a monk in Leon named Facundus drew several illustrations which depicted the beasts of Revelations as well as the prophesied events that were described in the book. And what we have is a collection of colorful Medieval drawings of robed individuals, angels, and beasts.
In 1047, Facundus presented King Ferdinand I of León, Castile, and Galicia and his wife Sancha with his take on the Beatus Of Liébana, an eight-century commentary on the Apocalypse made by a fellow monk named Beatus, resident at the Monastery of Santo Toribio de Liébana. The Revelation of John was now freshly illuminated in luminous colours for the King and his court to browse at their leisure.
The odd bit, of course, is that the illustrated end of all things has outlasted the myriad tales told over the last 2000 years that the end is nigh.
(Image credit: Beatus of Facundus via Flashbak)