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The Bible moralisée was probably commissioned in 1234 by Blanche of Castile (1188-1252), Queen consort of France as a wedding gift for Margaret of Provence (1221-1295), wife of Louis IX, her son. It is divided between libraries in Oxford, Paris and London (the Oxford-Paris-London Bible moralisée): volume 1 is in Oxford (MS Bodley 270b); volume 2 is in Paris, (Bibliothèque nationale, MS latin 11560; and volume 3 is divided into the two Harley volumes (Harley MS 1526 and MS 1527) in London.
The manuscript in Oxford contains part of the Old Testament on 225 folios decorated with 1.785 miniatures. Each page contains eight historiated medallions, like a series of pictures in stained-glass transposed to parchment. Each medallion is explained by a caption at its side. On each page four medallions illustrate biblical passages arranged in biblical order. Under each of these medallions there is an accompanying medallion which explains the inner moral meaning of the biblical passage portrayed.
The medallion from folio 123v of this volume represents Anti-Cathar propaganda. Cathars wearing long blue gowns seduce the faithful. Cathars, who believed that everything to do with the body belonged to the Devil, were thought to promote loose sexual morality.
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