Inscribing the Word of God

Saint John’s Bible 7 volumes About 1,150 pages Begun in 1998 To be completed in 2011 About 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide when opened 160 illuminations Estimated cost upwards of $4million Commissioned by a Benedictine monastery in Collegeville, MN Executed by Donald Jackson and collaborative team of artists Work done in a Scriptorium in Wales

The Scriptorium

Illuminated Manuscripts

Illuminate

Donald Jackson Grew up in England Queen’s Calligrapher Famous for his work Interview on “Today” show in 1970 “I would like to write the Bible” 1981 convention of calligraphers Continued for 20 years http://www.saintjohnsbible.org/

Not a medieval Bible…a modern Bible for our time “Think of the scientific and technological changes that have occurred since the Bible was last handwritten and illuminated. No one knew then about evolution, DNA, spaceflight, or black holes. Certainly no one could imagine viewing an earthrise from the moon. They thought the world was flat. There’s so much for our imagination to play with in what we include, to make this a Bible that will give future generations an idea of what life was like in our time.” Donald Jackson

Materials used: vellum, quills, paint The Saint John's Bible will incorporate many of the characteristics of its medieval predecessors. And yet, it will employ a modern English translation as well as contemporary scripts and illumination. It will be written on vellum using quills. It will use natural handmade inks and hand-ground pigments. It will use gild such as gold and silver leaf.                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Minnesota Roots of Bible

Scriptorium in Wales

Collaboration

Team at Saint John’s

New script created by Jackson himself

Samples of script

News & Events > Media Images > Image C                                                                                       

This monumental work is not yet finished This monumental work is not yet finished. The final stroke which will theoretically occur sometime in 2011 will be from the final verse of the last book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, which ends with a simple word: AMEN

Mrs. Burke’s Class All students turned in a favorite illuminated work These can be viewed on line at the Saint John’s Bible site.