{"id":4107,"date":"2019-01-11T18:00:22","date_gmt":"2019-01-11T18:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogschapman.wpenginepowered.com\/library\/2019\/01\/11\/coming-soon-to-the-leatherby-libraries-the-saint-johns-bible\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T23:34:44","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T23:34:44","slug":"coming-soon-to-the-leatherby-libraries-the-saint-johns-bible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.chapman.edu\/library\/2019\/01\/11\/coming-soon-to-the-leatherby-libraries-the-saint-johns-bible\/","title":{"rendered":"Coming Soon to the Leatherby Libraries: The Saint John's Bible"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you have walked through the lobby of the Leatherby Libraries since late December, you may have noticed a beautiful new display case containing some open books and flyers. This will be housing, starting on January 22nd, the Heritage Edition<\/em> of The Saint John\u2019s Bible<\/em><\/a>. The Bible<\/em> and case will remain in their current position until the end of Spring semester, and will then travel to different locations in the library and on campus for the rest of the year.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
The display case, currently housing books about The Saint John’s Bible<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Using medieval techniques of calligraphy and illumination, The Saint John\u2019s Bible<\/em> is the first Bible of its kind since the invention of the printing press. For calligraphers, making an illuminated Bible is the artistic equivalent of the painting of the Sistine Chapel. The Saint John\u2019s Bible<\/em> took over a dozen years to move through conceptualization to completion.<\/p>\n

The 1,165-page manuscript has 160 major illuminations and special treatments on dozens of other texts. Creator Donald Jackson, Queen Elizabeth II\u2019s royal scribe, developed a special font for this Bible and brought together a small team of artists and calligraphers to work alongside him on this project. The Bible was written on calfskin vellum using traditional tools and inks and it is massive – two feet by three feet – when open.<\/p>\n

The goal of The Saint John\u2019s Bible<\/em> is to ignite the spiritual imagination of people around the world. The illuminations are not illustrations of stories – they are spiritual meditations on texts that invite the reader to engage with scripture in fresh, new ways.<\/p>\n

Wanting to expand the reach of The Saint John\u2019s Bible<\/em>, Donald Jackson personally oversaw a second project – creating the Heritage Edition<\/em> of The Saint John\u2019s Bible<\/em>, 299 full-size reproductions. The pages are 100 percent cotton and are made to have the look and feel of the original vellum. The state-of-the-art lithographic printing process assures fidelity to the original.<\/p>\n

\"Open<\/a>
Background material currently on display in the case, chronicling the making of the Heritage Edition.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After printing, embossing and stamping processes add lustrous gold and silver to the illuminations and some are hand treated with gold to most accurately resemble the original. The volumes are magnificently hand-bound in Italian embossed leather and are predicted to last for 1,000 years. Beyond the 299 Heritage Edition<\/em> Bibles, there will be no additional copies made.<\/p>\n

Chapman University, through a gift from the Office of Church Relations<\/a>, is bringing the Gospel & Acts<\/em> volume of the Heritage Edition<\/em> of The Saint John\u2019s Bible<\/em> on loan to campus for a year in 2019. A team of Church Relations staff, faculty, library staff and community members are organizing a year of events to engage the Chapman community and our visitors to explore this volume.<\/p>\n