St. John's Bible (Illustrated) Pentateuch Illustrated Scripture

In 1998, Saint John's Abbey and University commissioned renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson to produce a hand-written, hand-illuminated Bible. This work of art unites an ancient Benedictine tradition with the technology and vision of today, illuminating the Word of God for a new millennium.

The Saint John's Bible is a work of art and a work of theology. A team of artists coordinated by Donald Jackson in Wales and a team of scholars in Central Minnesota have brought together the ancient techniques of calligraphy and illumination with an ecumenical Christian approach to the Bible rooted in Benedictine spirituality. The result is a living document and a monumental achievement.

Back in the 1990s, Donald Jackson observed the monks of Saint John's Abbey processing with their Book of the Gospels for Sunday Mass, and he recognized the importance of "their book." To create a Bible that would capture the beauty and tradition of centuries of liturgy and carry it into the future—that is the vision that united a calligrapher in Wales with a group of Benedictine monks in Minnesota.

The third of seven full-color reproductions from The Saint John's Bible, Pentateuch is foundational to both Judaism and Christianity. Pentateuch features text and illuminations of the first five books of the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) known as the Torah in Judaism. Prominent illuminations include Creation, Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, Jacob's Ladder, Abraham and Sarah, the Ten Commandments and the Death of Moses.

In beautiful handwritten script and elegant design, the Pentateuch contains the cherished stories of faith that are thousands of years old. This book provides an artistic interpretation of humanity's oldest literature 'still recited as living history.

That these stories are significant to Jewish and Christian traditions is not surprising since they reflect the hopes, dreams, fears, and deeds of people living side by side with the earth's oldest civilizations. Over time, these spiritual descendants of Abraham and Sarah introduced God to all the inhabitants of the Middle East and beyond. Their message was simple. God and his creation are good; evil enters when prideful humans go their own way. Nonetheless, God continues to love unconditionally.