David from BL Eg 2908, f. 169v - Public domain medieval manuscript

Historiated initial 'B'(eatus) with David with a harp and Christ blessing, at the beginning of Psalms. Image taken from f. 169v of Bible, with prologues, with a Franciscan calendar (ff. 364v-365v); and the Interpretations of Hebrew names (ff. 366-390v). Written in Latin.

David was a skilled musician and poet, and he played the harp to soothe King Saul when he was tormented by evil spirits. David's musical abilities and his role as a psalmist also led him to be associated with the worship of God and with the expression of devotion and praise. The image of David playing the harp remains a symbol of the connection between music, worship, and devotion in Western tradition.

The Egerton Manuscript Collection is named after its founder, Sir Thomas Egerton (1540-1617), 1st Viscount Brackley, was a lawyer, statesman, and patron of the arts during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I of England. He served as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and later as Lord Chancellor of England, holding high positions in the legal and political realms.

Sir Thomas Egerton acquired a substantial number of historical and literary manuscripts. In 1617, shortly before his death, Sir Thomas Egerton bequeathed his collection of manuscripts to the British Museum, which was the precursor to the British Library.