The last great visionary work of Hildegard, Liber divinorum operum or De operatione Dei, is one of the most original and perfected writings of the prophet. Ten visions are described and interpreted in three parts: The first part comprises four visions and focuses on the work of God – humankind and the world. In the second part, Hildegard has a vision about the rooms of the Beyond, while the five visions of the third part describe the history of salvation from creation to salvation.

The order to write Liber divinorum operum was given to her in 1163, after she composed an interpretation of the Gospel of John, as she stated in her Vita: „And I saw that this interpretation should be the beginning of another work that has not been revealed yet. In it, many questions of the divine secrets of creation should be examined.“ As the title of the book assumes, the divine works are the central subject. In the headline of the fourth vision of the first part, the subject of the entire work is reflected upon:

„The interpretation of the first chapter of the Gospel of John, where it is written about the eternity of the divine words, the creation of the world, the being of the angels, the creation of humankind and how the Creator’s power and clear wisdom are reflected in the human body, and finally the incarnation of His word and the final blessing of the people.“

Mankind is always considered in relation to the rest of creation; the role of the people in this world as well as their destiny in the Beyond and the course of the history of salvation are shown to them. It is their responsibility to follow the ways of the heart in order to be salvaged. The version of Liber divinorum operum in the Gent Codex, probably the first copy of the work, has been preserved. Hildegard wrote this in 1173/1174 with the help of Abbott Ludwig of St. Eucharius. Three more copies as well as several fragments have been handed down. The most interesting copy from an artistic point of view is the Lucca Codex originating from around 1120/1230, named after its present location. The visions of the prophet are accompanied by artful miniatures with an early Gothic touch.