My Theory: RITE — Ritual Instrument of Textual Esoterica

[Jorge_Stolfi]

What can we say if estimates of the vellum cost alone differ by several others of magnitude?

Well, I hope paleographers and medievalists can give a better founded estimate.  (The articles I saw seemed authoritative, but who knows...)

how can we even begin to guess how much time it took to write each page if we don't know how easy or arduous of a task it was to produce the text?

Indeed, but I was careful to say "if he created the draft by copying the text from other books".  I don't think the contents is the Author's own ideas or experience, because of the variety of themes.  Again, I believe that each section was copied from a different book, with little or no change.

And, needless to say, I am assuming that it is plain text, with no encryption. 

All the best, --jorge