I am reposting this as it is one of the best talks you can find about one of the greatest of icons. Father Justin, Librarian of the Monastery of Saint Catherine, Sinai, discusses how the illuminated manuscript of The Ladder of Divine Ascent provides insights into the spirituality of Sinai and the theology of art in the Orthodox Church.
Supported by The Hellenic Foundation, this is an audio recording from the concurrent lectures with the Byzantium 330-1453 exhibition. Listen here. You will have to download but it is only 26 Mb.