De mirabilibus sacrae scripturae
7th-century Latin treatise by anonymous Irish philosopher
De mirabilibus sacrae scripturae (English: On the Miraculous Things in Sacred Scripture) is a Latin treatise written around 655 by an anonymous Irish writer and philosopher known as Augustinus Hibernicus or the Irish Augustine.
The author's nickname is in reference to the philosopher Augustine of Hippo. This pseudo-Augustine was born in Ireland sometime in the first half of the seventh century and is noted especially for his natural philosophy.
Around the year 655 he wrote a treatise called De mirabilibus Sacrae Scripturae. It has long been regarded as an exceptional work, in that it demonstrates a strictly scientific approach in the matter of making direct observations of nature and subjecting them to a strictly logical interpretation.
His treatise seeks to explain each miracle in the Scriptures as an extreme case of phenomena, yet still within the laws of nature. Augustine also gives a list of the terrestrial mammals of Ireland, and solves the problem of how they reached Ireland after the flood of Noah by proposing a solution – hundreds of years ahead of its time – that the island had been cut off from continental Europe by marine erosion.
Further reading
Bracken, Damian (1998), "Rationalism and the Bible in seventh-century Ireland", Chronicon, 2
Duddy, Thomas (2002), A History of Irish Thought, New York: Routledge
Esposito, Mario (1919), "On the Pseudo-Augustinian treatise De mirabilibus sanctae scripturae written in Ireland in the year 655", Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, 35 C: 189–207
MacGinty, Gerard (1987), "The Irish Augustine: De mirabilibus sacrae Scripturae", in Ní Chatháin, Próinséas; Richter, Michael (eds.), Irland und die Christenheit: Bibelstudien und Mission / Ireland and Christendom: the Bible and the Missions, Stuttgart: Klett-Cotta, pp.
The public source identifies “De mirabilibus sacrae scripturae” as 7th-century Latin treatise by anonymous Irish philosopher. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around mirabilibus, sacrae and scripturae.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “De mirabilibus sacrae scripturae”, the useful work is to connect “7th-century Latin treatise by anonymous Irish philosopher” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Biographical claims are most persuasive when dates, appointments and relationships can be traced to records created close to the events described. The source revision retrieved here is dated Oct 7, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q2871576. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1998, 2002, 1919 and 1987.
A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “De mirabilibus sacrae scripturae”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow De mirabilibus sacrae scripturae primary sources, De mirabilibus sacrae scripturae archive and mirabilibus research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “De mirabilibus sacrae scripturae”?
- How has the subject’s reputation changed across later accounts?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “De mirabilibus sacrae scripturae” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.