''The Saint John's Bible'' is the first completely handwritten and

illuminated Illuminated may refer to: * Illuminated (song), "Illuminated" (song), by Hurts * Illuminated Film Company, a British animation house * ''Illuminated'', alternative title of Black Sheep (Nat & Alex Wolff album) * Illuminated manuscript See also

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

to be commissioned by a

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

abbey since the invention of the printing press. The project was headed by Donald Jackson, and work on the manuscript took place in both

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

and

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. Work on the 1,100 page Bible began in 1998 when it was commissioned by the Benedictine monks at Saint John's University, and was completely finished in December 2011 at a total cost of over $8 million. ''The Saint John's Bible'' is divided into seven volumes and is two feet tall by three feet wide when open. The book is written on

vellum Vellum is prepared animal skin or membrane, typically used as writing material. It is often distinguished from parchment, either by being made from calfskin (rather than the skin of other animals), or simply by being of a higher quality. Vellu ...

quill A quill is a writing tool made from a moulted flight feather (preferably a primary wing-feather) of a large bird. Quills were used for writing with ink before the invention of the dip pen/metal-Nib (pen), nibbed pen, the fountain pen, and, event ...

, containing 160 illuminations across its seven volumes, and uses the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSV-CE) of the Bible. A copy of ''The Saint John's Bible'' has been presented to the

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at the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

in several volumes, with the final volume presented on April 17, 2015.

Origin

Beginning in 1970, master

calligrapher Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an exp ...

Donald Jackson—the official

scribe A scribe is a person who serves as a professional copyist, especially one who made copies of manuscripts before the invention of Printing press, automatic printing. The work of scribes can involve copying manuscripts and other texts as well as ...

in the Crown Office at the

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of the

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—expressed in media interviews his lifelong desire to create a completely handwritten illuminated Bible. In 1995 Jackson attended a Saint John's University-sponsored

calligraphy Calligraphy () is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instruments. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "the art of giving form to signs in an e ...

presentation at the

Newberry Library The Newberry Library is an independent research library, specializing in the humanities. It is located in Chicago, Illinois, and has been free and open to the public since 1887. The Newberry's mission is to foster a deeper understanding of our wo ...

in Chicago, following which he discussed the possibility of a handwritten Bible with Father Eric Hollas, OSB, the former executive director of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. Between 1996 and 1997, Saint John's University explored the feasibility of the Bible project, with Jackson creating first samples and theologians developing the initial illumination schema. ''The Saint John's Bible'' was officially commissioned in 1998 by the Benedictine Monks at Saint John's University, and external funding opportunities were launched. The project was introduced to the public in 1999 and production was completed in 2011—with the final word penned in May 2011 and touch-up work completed by December 2011—taking 23 artists and calligraphers over 11 years to complete. The headquarters for the project is located at Saint John's University, and Donald Jackson's

scriptorium A scriptorium () was a writing room in medieval European monasteries for the copying and illuminating of manuscripts by scribes. The term has perhaps been over-used—only some monasteries had special rooms set aside for scribes. Often they ...

is located in

Monmouth Monmouth ( or ; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated on where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. The population in the 2011 census was 10,508, rising from 8 ...

, Wales.

Mission

Saint John's states that the purpose of ''The Saint John's Bible'' is the following: "At the onset of a new millennium, Saint John's University and the monks of Saint John's Abbey sought to ignite the spiritual imagination of people throughout the world by commissioning a work of art that illuminates the world today." Donald Jackson and his team also outlined during the production of the Bible six core values for its readers to apply to their lives: igniting spiritual imagination, glorifying God's word, reviving tradition, discovering history through manuscript exploration, fostering the arts, and giving a voice to the underprivileged.

Techniques

The creators of ''The Saint John's Bible'' used a mixture of modern technology (computers used to plan the layout of the Bible and line-breaks for the text) and older techniques used in the creation of ancient

illuminated manuscript An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared manuscript, document where the text is decorated with flourishes such as marginalia, borders and Miniature (illuminated manuscript), miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Churc ...

s (handwritten with turkey, goose, and swan quills on calf-skin

; gold and platinum leaf and hand-ground

pigment A pigment is a powder used to add or alter color or change visual appearance. Pigments are completely or nearly solubility, insoluble and reactivity (chemistry), chemically unreactive in water or another medium; in contrast, dyes are colored sub ...

s; Chinese stick ink). The official website for ''The'' ''Saint John's Bible'' states the following regarding the techniques used in the creation of the book:

The unique aspect of the Bible is that it is a Bible for our time. It is a combination of ancient methods and materials with themes, images and technology of the 21st century and beyond. ''The Saint John's Bible'' represents humankind's achievements over the past 500 years. It is a contemporary blending of religious imagery from various Eastern and Western traditions, as befits our modern understanding of the global village. This Bible reflects Saint John's commitment to Scripture and to the Book Arts, as well as to spiritual, artistic, educational and scholarly programming.

''The Saint John's Bible'' uses the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSV-CE) of the Bible. Donald Jackson, the primary calligrapher, created a unique script specifically for the project.

Committee on Illumination and Text

During production, a team of scholars and theologians gathered weekly to develop the theological content behind the illuminations. This included not only developing the schema for the illuminations (i.e., which passages would be illuminated, how the illuminations would be incorporated into the text), but also identifying underlying themes and elements for the artists to incorporate. The meetings of the Committee on Illuminations and Text took place in Collegeville, Minnesota and much of the artwork was produced in

, resulting in a transatlantic collaboration as drafts were passed between the two groups. Michael Patella, OSB—chair of the Committee on Illumination and Text—explained the underlying purpose of the committee's work: "The illuminations are not illustrations. They are spiritual meditations on a text. It is a very Benedictine approach to Scriptures."

''The Saint John's Bible''

Volumes

''The Saint John's Bible'' consists of seven volumes: # Gospels and Acts (completed in May 2002): 25+ illuminations, including opening illuminations to each gospel # Pentateuch (completed in August 2003): Illuminated text from the first 5 books of the Old Testament # Psalms (completed in April 2004): Illuminations include the digital voice prints of songs from various ethnicities/religious backgrounds # Prophets (completed in April 2005): Includes Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Micah, Amos, Daniel, Zechariah, and Baruch # Wisdom Books (completed in July 2006): Includes Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, Job, Wisdom, and Sirach # Historical Books (completed in March 2010): Largest page count, 25+ illuminations, includes Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Judith, Esther, Ruth, Tobit, 1st and 2nd Maccabees # Letters and Revelation (completed 2011)

"Seeing the Word" curriculum

In collaboration with Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary, a curriculum was developed aiming to educate people on ''The Saint John's Bible'' and further its underlying goal of igniting the spiritual imagination. "Seeing the Word," co-produced by Liturgical Press, is a collection of resources which intends to promote guided reflection and meditation on ''The Saint John's Bible'' and its illuminations. The program follows the six steps of the prayer process of ''visio divina'' (based on '' Lectio Divina''): listening, meditation, seeing, prayer, contemplation, and becoming Christ-like.

Illuminations

There is a great variety of images utilized in ''The Saint John's Bible.'' Some of these are drawn from ancient and medieval Christian art, such as fish and trees, while others are more modern: a double helix DNA strand, Buddhist mandalas, and the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. The majority of the flora and fauna depicted in the illuminations are native to the project's two homes in Minnesota and Wales. There are also many different depictions of Christ in different contexts. A series of reference books, titled ''The Art of the Saint John's Bible'', have been published by Susan Sink to provide an index for the illustrations included in the volumes of ''The Saint John's Bible.''

Content

Many of the illuminations reflect the blend of modern and ancient imagery. While helping conceptualize the illuminations, Jackson conducted research and observation of the antiques at the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

. The artists also incorporated imagery from documentary photos, such as a well-known image from the Holocaust of a pile of broken eyeglasses (seen in the book of Ezekiel). Also included in the illuminations are pages dedicated to specific motifs, such as the focus on fertility in the book of Sirach.

Various Editions

There are currently three different editions (not including the original copy) of ''The Saint John's Bible'' in circulation.

Heritage Edition

The Heritage Edition of ''The Saint John's Bible'' is the full-size fine art reproduction of the original. Measuring two feet tall by three feet wide when open, it is the exact size of the original manuscript. Each volume of the Heritage Edition is signed by the chief scribe and illuminator, Donald Jackson. The edition is limited to 299 signed and numbered seven-volume sets and contains the same volumes as the original. Many of the illuminations are touched-up by hand, including the burnishing of gold leaf. In addition, an eighth volume of commentary that places ''The Saint John's Bible'' in its historical context and describes several of the illuminations will accompany the volumes. Institutions and individuals around the world have acquired over 100 of the 299 available sets of the Heritage Edition, and many of these can be viewed by the public at locations in the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the Irish Republic. The Harold B. Lee Library at

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

has one of the Heritage Editions on display in its Special Collections department as do various other academic institutions.

Trade Edition

The Trade Edition of ''The Saint John's Bible'' are smaller, printed copies of the seven volumes available to the general public for purchase. They are roughly the size of coffee table books, and feature full-color reproductions of the original manuscript.

Apostles Edition

The Apostles Edition includes the following: the seven-volume Saint John's Bible, a custom dedication page in the Pentateuch volume, an original artwork by one of ''The Saint John's Bible'' illuminators, a deluxe viewing display and cabinet, and the donation of a seven-volume Heritage Edition to a qualified nonprofit institution. The 12 Apostles Editions are reserved for major donors to ''The Saint John's Bible'' program at Saint John's University. Only twelve copies of the Apostles Edition exist, and a few of these are currently being housed in the permanent collections at the Library of Congress, the Morgan Library, the Vatican Museum of Art and other locations.

Other recently produced handwritten/illuminated Bibles

Early in the marketing campaign, the commission responsible for ''The Saint John's Bible'' made the claim that it would be the first handwritten Bible in 500 years to the best of their knowledge. The commission was then made aware that several other Bibles had been previously completed, and in 2004 (between the April and May mailings of advertising for the Bible), the phrase "commissioned by a Benedictine Monastery" was added to the advertising and official website. At least one other privately illuminated manuscript with selections from the Bible—the Pepper Bible—preceded ''The Saint John's Bible'' in this timeframe.

Staff

List of staff members on both the Minnesota and Wales teams during the creation of ''The Saint John's Bible'': * Artistic director: Donald Jackson * Committee on Illumination and Text: Johanna Becker, Nathanael Hauser, Ellen Joyce, David Paul Lange, Irene Nowell, Michael Patella, (Chair of the committee) Simon-Hoa Phan, Alan Reed, Columba Stewart, Susan Wood, Rosanne Keller. * Assistant: Linda Orzechowski *Calligraphers: Sue Hufton, Sally Mae Joseph, Brian Simpson, Angela Swan, Susie Leiper *Founding Director: Carol Marrin *Operations Director: Craig Bruner * Editor, "Seeing the Word": Barbara Sutton *Graphic designer: Vin Godier *Illuminators: Thomas Ingmire, Aidan Hart, Suzanne Moore, Diane von Arx, Sally Mae Joseph, Hazel Dolby, Andrew Jamieson *Natural history illustrator: Chris Tomlin *Project managers: Rebecca Cherry, Rachel Collard, Jane Grayer, Olivia (née Clarke) Edwards *Studio assistants: Mark L'Argent, Sarah Harris-Richards *Proofreader: Sally Sargeant *Hebrew Script: Christopher Calderhead, Izzy Pludwinski *Greek Script: Brian Simpson *Executive director, Heritage Program: Jim Triggs List of staff members currently serving ''The Saint John's Bible'': * Executive Director, Heritage Program: John F. Ross * Director, Heritage Program: Brad Neary * Assistant Director, Heritage Program: Meghan Stretar * Program Coordinator, Heritage Program: Leila Utsch * Director of ''The Saint John's Bible'' at the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library: Tim Ternes

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Johns Bible 2011 non-fiction books Illuminated biblical manuscripts Bible translations into English Illuminated manuscripts of Welsh origin