AtDTdA: (9) 251 Book of Promise(s)

[Jasper]

Ah ha!  It's hard to find a good source for this, but apparently the 
"Pax tibi" phrase and the angel comes from a medieval legend in which 
St. Mark was traveling from Aquileia to Rome (that is, passing by 
Venice), and all of a sudden this angel appears and says, "Pax tibi, 
etc.  Here your body will rest."  So it's not biblical, and the book 
isn't the bible.  In fact, the legend appears to have been invented for 
the purpose of justifying the theft of Mark's bones (aka relics) from 
Alexandria, and entombing them in Venice.

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/it-venic.html#des
http://www.venicewelcome.com/monuments/monumets.htm

At peace-time, the book is rendered open; during war, the book is closed 
or absent, and the lion carries a sword:

http://www.fotw.net/flags/it-ven-h.html#war
http://venicexplorer.net/tradizione/festa-san-marco/index.php


Keith wrote:
> The Book of Promise(s) is the book pictured with the lion 
> http://tinyurl.com/3b2zh9 on which is written:
>
> "Pax tibi, Marce, evangelista meus.  Hic requiescet corpus tuum," 
> (Peace unto thee Mark my evangelist.  Here your body will rest.)
>
> It is the book of the promise made by the angel to St. Mark, seen here 
> in a Blundellian vision.
>