Selections from The Saint John’s Bible at the V&A: 21st Century Handwritten Bible Made Using  Medieval Techniques“America’s Book of Kells”—Newsweek (United States)

The  V&A will display pages from The Saint John’s Bible from February 2, 2006 - May 1, 2006. This skillfully crafted 21^st Century bible has been made in Wales using medieval techniques. It has been written entirely by hand using quills and paints hand-ground from precious minerals and stones such as lapis lazuli, malachite, silver, copper and 24- carat gold.  When open, the bible will be two feet tall and three feet wide, consisting of over 1,000 pages in seven volumes. Commissioned by Saint John’s University, this is the first time it has been shown outside the United States.

Selections from Prophets, the fourth volume of The Saint John’s Bible will be featured, including The Vision of Isaiah (Isaiah 6), Ezekiel’s Vision at Chebar, Ezekiel’s Vision of the New Temple which uses a 17^th century image of King Solomon’s Temple floor plan for inspiration, and several special treatments of text.

The artistic director of the project, Donald Jackson, is one of the world’s foremost calligraphers and scribe to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Crown Office at the House of Lords. 

“Illuminated manuscripts have always marked the time and place in which they were created, and The Saint John’s Bible will reflect our world at the beginning of the twenty-first century for future generations,” said Brother Dietrich Reinhart, OSB, president of Saint John’s University. “Today, through partnerships with museums and educational outreach, we hope to touch people of all cultures and creeds with the spirit and beauty of this book.”

The Saint John’s Bible will be completed in 2007 and housed permanently at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library, Saint John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minnesota, in the Midwestern United States, where it will be used in worship and made available to scholars and the public.

Publications

Three exhibition-related books are available for purchase: Illuminating the Word: The Making of the Saint John’s Bible, Gospels and Acts and Psalms. For more information in the US call 1-800-858-5450 or visit online at www.litpress.org.  In the UK visit Veritas online at www.veritas.ie. Books are available at the Victoria and Albert bookshop as well.

The College of Saint Benedict for women and Saint John's University for men are partners in liberal arts education, providing students the opportunity to benefit from the distinctions of not one, but two nationally recognized Catholic, undergraduate colleges. Together, the colleges challenge students to live balanced lives of learning, work, leadership and service in a changing world.