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The University Libraries Special Collections hosts Early Books Lecture VII, an annual exploration by UA scholars of the treasure trove of medieval texts held by the UA Libraries. Today's first lecture, titled Rhabanus Maurus' De sancta cruce: The Brilliance of Early Medieval Monastic Culture, is based on the work of Rabanus Maurus Magnentius (c. 780 - 4 February 856), a Frankish Benedictine monk, the archbishop of Mainz in Germany and a theologian. Classics Professor Cynthia White will look at his Liber de laudibus sanctae crucis which contains a set of highly sophisticated poems that present the cross (and, in the last poem, Rabanus himself kneeling before it) in word and image, even in numbers. Special Collections has a fine art facsimile of the work that will be displayed at the lecture.