ABSTRACT
This part conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters. The part suggests that a medieval audience focused in particular on the Sibylla Tiburtina's christological passages because they were made up from ancient Sibylline predictions which already had a place in monastic learning. The study of Matthew Paris's treatment of the Tiburtina in particular shows the value of reconstructing the horizon of expectation of a text. The part demonstrates first, that the Tiburtina was used as a devotional aid, second, that it shared in the traditional appreciation of Sibylline prophecy as christological testimony and third, that an antiquarian interest. To a large extent, the deployment of the Tiburtina as an aid for devout reflection was, of course, tied to the monastic preoccupation with personal eschatology. The manuscript transmission is best understood in terms of an explanatory model which includes recognition of the strength of the impact of the non–political Sibylline Tradition.
