Royal Prayer Book

The Royal Prayer Book (London, British Library Royal MS 2.A.XX) is a collection of prayers believed to have been copied in the late eighth century or the early ninth century.^{[2]: 123 n.2  [3]: 317–318 [no.248]} It was written in West Mercia, likely either in or around Worcester.^{[4]: 279–80  [5]: 51–53}

The Royal Prayer Book
British Library, Royal MS 2 A XX
Type	Prayer book
Date	c.800–c.825
Place of origin	England, S. (Mercia)
Language(s)	Latin
Material	Parchment, ink, paint
Size	230 × 170 (180 × 130) mm
Script	Insular minuscule
Contents	Prayers; the apocryphal letter of Christ to Abgar; Gospel readings
Illumination(s)	2 zoomorphic initials in gold, silver, colours. Smaller initials with colours and red dots. Marginal drawings.[1]
Additions	Interlinear glosses and marginal notes in Old English
Other	Member of the Southumbrian 'Tiberius Group'

It is one of four early Anglo-Saxon prayerbooks—the others being the Book of Cerne, the Harley Prayer Book, and the Book of Nunnaminster—all of which have some textual interrelationships. The prayers are mainly in Latin but have some Old English and Greek elements.^{[6]: 52–59 [no. 283]} Its general theme "would appear to be Christ as the healer of mankind", and its concern with physical healing is sufficient to suggest that it "might have functioned as a devotional, and practical, tool for a physician".^{[5]: 56, 57  [4]: 275–327}

Folio 45v contains what seems to be the first manuscript attestation in any Germanic language of the common noun elf.^{[7]: 71–72}

The manuscript also contains detailed Old English glosses from the tenth century in the Mercian dialect of Old English.^{[6]: 52 [no.283]}