Out of the numerous illuminated manuscript copies of the Book of Job that are preserved today, it appears that only the codex of Sinai was created in Constantinople. The illustrations are confined to the prologue to the text, and follow the dramatic events. They progress from a depiction of Job and his wife as an imperial couple in a palace (p. 7r), to an idyllic image of his flocks (p. 8r), the happy, family meal (p. 17r), and on to the tragedy of Job, and his unswerving faith. The book is noted for its opulence, its fine technique and gold-lettering, as well as the “illusionist”, deep backgrounds that hark back to the art of antiquity.
