The Old English anonymous poem now known as

is found in one of the four great Anglo-Saxon poetic codices. The 590-line poem occupies pages 143-171 of Oxford, Bodleian Library, MS Junius 11. Junius 11 is sometimes known as the Cædmon manuscript, after the Anglo-Saxon poet Cædmon, who was once thought to have composed the poems; it is also referred to as the Junius manuscript, recalling the seventeenth-century Dutch antiquary, Franciscus Junius. The manuscript also contains the following Old English poems:

and

,

and

, along with numerous well-executed drawings. Junius 11 has been dated to c. 1000, although as is usual with medieval texts, this does not date the poem itself. Dating Old English poetry is usually a difficult and often impossible task,…

815 words

Citation: Kilburn, Jasmine. "Exodus". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 February 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=11655, accessed 21 November 2024.]