Saint John's Bible: Fast Facts

The Saint John’s Bible (SJB)

• The SJB is the first handwritten illuminated Bible of its scale in over 500 years.
• The mission of the SJB: “To ignite the spiritual imagination of people around the world of all faith journeys.”
• Donald Jackson, Senior Scribe to the Queen of England, is the artistic director of the SJB.
• Key dates:
  • 1995 – Mr. Jackson presented his lifelong dream to handwrite the Bible to Fr. Eric Hollas, O.S.B.
  • 1998 – Saint John’s Abbey and University commissioned Mr. Jackson to begin the project.
  • 2000 – Mr. Jackson drew the first words – “In the beginning” – on Ash Wednesday.
  • 2011 – Donald and Mabel Jackson presented the final page of the SJB to Saint John’s.
  • 2018 – The Saint John's Bible is acquired by Siena College.
• The scholarship behind the SJB was led by the Committee for Illumination and Text (CIT). Fr. Michael Patella, O.S.B., chaired the committee of artists, theologians and biblical scholars.
• The translation of this Bible is the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
• Six calligraphers, including Mr. Jackson, handwrote all 1,150 pages on approximately 300 sheets of calfskin vellum.   
• A Jewish scribe drew the Hebrew script.   
• Six artists, including Mr. Jackson, created over 160 major illuminations.
• The art of the SJB is inspired by artistic traditions from around the world.  

The 73 books in The Saint John’s Bible are organized in the following seven volumes:                                                                               

• Pentateuch  (Old Testament)                                                                                     
• Historical Books (Old Testament)                                                                               
• Wisdom Books (Old Testament)                                                                                 
• Psalms (Old Testament)
• Prophets (Old Testament)
• Gospels & Acts (New Testament)
• Letters & Revelation (New Testament)

Heritage Edition

• In order to share the SJB with the world, Saint John’s asked Donald Jackson to direct the creation of the Heritage Edition.
• The Heritage Edition is the only full-scale, illuminated, fine art edition of the Bible.
• Limited to only 299 seven-volume sets, Mr. Jackson’s goal was to make the Heritage Edition "true to the artistic intent of the original."
• Each volume is authenticated and initialed by Mr. Jackson.
• The Heritage Edition represents a major international collaboration.
• Mr. Jackson traveled from Wales to Minnesota on a regular basis to direct the Heritage Edition’s creation.
• Fine book printing experts from England and the US provided invaluable direction.
• Hill Museum & Manuscript Museum imaged all 1,150 original pages in ultra-high resolution.
• New Hampshire’s Monadnock Paper Mills produced the cotton paper used in the Heritage Edition.
• Germany’s Heidelberg Druckmaschinen AG provided the offset lithographic printing technology required for the Heritage Edition.
• An Italian-based tannery supplied the custom calfskin leather used in binding the Heritage Edition.
• The binding’s headbands were hand-sewn in Pakistan.
• All 1,150 pages for all 299 volumes are hand-stitched and bound in Arizona.
• No two Heritage Editions are identical because many illuminations required hand treatments by the Scriptorium’s studio manager, Sarah Harris.
• True to the SJB’s mission, a wide spectrum of institutions around the world have acquired the Heritage Edition including:
  • Vatican Museum and Vatican Library
  • Siena College
  • St Martin-in-the-Fields Church in London
  • Yale University
  • Mayo Clinic
  • Morgan Library & Museum
• To date, over 100 Heritage Editions have been acquired around the world.