A once-in-a-millennium project, Duke is the first institution in the Southeast region to own a complete Heritage Edition of The Saint John's Bible.
The Saint John's Bible and Project
The first handwritten Bible commissioned by a Benedictine Abbey in more than 500 years, The Saint John's Bible is the complete text of the Bible, written on calfskin vellum using traditional tools, inks, and rare pigments. It consists of seven hand-illuminated volumes created by Donald Jackson and a team of calligraphers, visual artists, monks, and scholars. The Heritage Edition is an exquisite, fine-art limited reproduction that enables communities around the world to encounter the spiritual and artistic beauty of the original.
The Volumes
Pentateuch
This volume contains the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. The 164 pages of the volume include seven prominent illuminations: Creation, Garden of Eden, Adam & Eve, Jacob’s Ladder, Abraham & Sarah, the Ten Commandments, and the Death of Moses.
Historical Books
This volume includes 276 pages and 20 illuminations. Prominent illuminations include the Joshua Frontispiece, Judges Anthology, City of David, King Solomon’s Temple, and Esther.
Psalms
Psalms has 84 pages and consists of five books, paralleling the Pentateuch. Psalms uses a unique script within the collection, a lighter weight script, which underscores the melodic and poetic nature of Psalms.
Wisdom Books
Including 136 pages and 24 illuminations, this volume contains the following prominent illuminations: Job Frontispiece, Wisdom Woman, Garden of Desire, Seven Pillars of Wisdom and Creation, Covenant, Shekinah, Kingdom.
Prophets
With 232 pages and 20 illuminations, Prophets includes several key artworks, such as Messianic Predictions, Suffering Servant, Ezekiel’s Prophetic Vision, and Valley of the Dry Bones.
Gospels & Acts
Combining the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) with Acts, the book of Paul's missionary journeys, this volume contains 25 illuminations and 136 pages, with a full-page frontispiece illumination opening each Gospel.
Letters & Revelation
Combining the letters of the Apostle Paul with the concluding book of the Bible, Revelation, the volume includes 96 pages, 12 major illuminations, and 20 special text treatments. Prominent artworks include the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Letter to the Seven Churches, and Vision of the New Jerusalem.
Featured Podcast
The Saint John's Bible Comes to Duke
DITA Associate Director Dr. Daniel Train discusses The Saint John's Bible and Project with Duke Chapel's James Todd—as well as the vision for the volumes at Duke and beyond. "This is a book speaking to and for our time,” says Dr. Daniel Train.
Celebration Events
Duke University received a Heritage Edition of The Saint John's Bible in a series of celebratory events at Duke Divinity School and Duke University Chapel on Oct. 3, 2024.
Divinity School Dedication Service
A service including a sermon by Dr. Ellen Davis, Amos Ragan Kearns Distinguished Professor of Bible and Practical Theology, a dedication address by Dean Colon-Emeric, and a processional of all seven volumes took place in Duke Divinity School's Goodson Chapel.
Interactive Lecture: From Tradition to Innovation, an Exploration of The Saint John’s Bible
Tim Ternes, director of The Saint John's Bible Project, discussed the Bible's creative process, team, and history and provided several guided imagery discussions on selected illuminations.
University Celebration Service
A service including congregational singing, a formal dedication address by the SJB Heritage Program Director, and a formal reception of the volumes by Duke's Vice Provost for Library Affairs took place in Duke University Chapel at 7:30 p.m.
Watch the Service link to watch the evening service
Featured Publication
Edited by DITA Associate Director Dr. Daniel Train and scholars Jack R. Baker and Jeffrey Bilbro, this volume foregrounds the importance of a book’s tactile and visual qualities. This collection considers how The Saint John’s Bible fits within the history of the Bible as a book, and how its haptic qualities may be particularly important in a digital age.
The Saint John's Bible at Duke University in 2019
In 2019, Duke University loaned two volumes of a Heritage Edition, The Gospels & Acts and Revelation & Letters, for use in teaching and study by scholars around campus and beyond.
The Bible as You've Never Seen It Before
The Saint John's Bible, a modern hand-illuminated presentation of the sacred text, was displayed in Duke Divinity School.
Read the Full Article on Duke Today
The Saint John’s Bible Illuminates the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women
Rev. Sarah Jobe, D '06, writes about bringing The Saint John's Bible to the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women through Interfaith Prison Ministry for Women.
Read the Full Article about bringing the bible into prison
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