ABSTRACT
The Creeds illustrate an important but often overlooked aspect of eschatological thought, namely that it was not only the mention of Judgement Day which provoked Christian meditation on sin. Reflection on sin, redemption, judgement and Christ's First Coming therefore had a central role in Christian instruction. The suffering Christ of the First Coming thus encouraged reflection on sin, virtue, vice and one's own chances of salvation. The analysis of the Rochester and Canterbury compilations suggests that they were both centred on a nexus of ideas: sin and salvation through Christ. However, the Tiburtina's association with literature reflecting the monastic preoccupation with the fate of individual souls suggests that the Sibylla Tiburtina appealed on a similar, more personal level. Further evidence of the centrality of the Sibylline Gospel to the Tiburtina's medieval audience can be adduced from the textual history of the prophecy.
