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SALT LAKE CITY — The Saint John's Bible has been called "one of the extraordinary undertakings of our time." Now a special touring edition of that Bible has come to Salt Lake.
The Saint John's Bible is holy scripture created with special lettering, and many pages contain original works of art. It's the first handwritten, illuminated Bible commissioned by a Benedictine Abbey in over 500 years.
The six volumes of replica are on display in the West Trancept of the Cathedral of Saint Mark, at 231 E. 100 South in Salt Lake City.
This is the first church to host the full-sized reproductions of the original, which took 15 years to create. These volumes have 1,150 pages and 160 artworks.
Saint John's Bible is made of vellum pages, and has lettering made with Chinese black ink and the quills come from turkey, goose or swan feathers.
The commissioned artist, Donald Jackson, is Queen Elizabeth's scribe. He says he reaches into his heart to strike a chord which will mean something to you.
Location:
- The Cathedral Church of Saint Mark
231 E. 100 South
Salt Lake City
Viewing schedule:
- Oct. 2-5: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Oct. 6: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Lecture schedule:
- Oct. 3, 7 p.m.: Public presentation — The Art of Visio Divina
- Oct. 4, 11 a.m.: Bible study using Saint John's Bible
- Oct. 4, 7 p.m.: Interfaith service, reading from Saint John's Bible
- Oct. 6, 8 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.: Rev. Dr. Kirtley Yearwood preaches the homily. Saint John's Bible will be used.
Visit stmarkscathedralut.org for more information.
#exhibit_info
But with all of that hand lettering, are there any mistakes?
"Out of 1,100 pages, we have only nine major corrections … and each one does something a little bit funny, or a little bit humorous, saying ‘we're human,'" said Tim Ternes, director of the Saint Johns's Bible tour.
The mistakes are clever, but the images are true works of modern art made to connect visitors to the sacred.
"It's absolutely stunning. It's beautiful," said Liz Margetts, a visitor who stopped to admire the Bible. "Not only do we love what we would call illustrations, but we love the lettering. It's absolutely gorgeous."
"I like the idea that it is a reflection of all of us," said visitor Faye Maxfield, "because if we all don't understand that we have a little piece of the divine in ourselves, we never accomplish very much."
The originals, worth millions, never leave Saint John's Abbey and University in Minnesota. But the next best thing has come to Utah for people of all faiths to see and feel.
"It draws you in. You can't stop turning pages, and that's the one thing about this exhibit that's different than anything else: you can touch the Bible, you can look at it, you can experience it," said the Very Rev. Ray Waldon, dean and director of the Cathedral Church of Saint Mark.
The six-volume exhibition will remain at the Cathedral of Saint Mark through Saturday, Oct. 6. There are also lectures scheduled, and the exhibit is free to the public. Visit stmarkscathedraulut.org for more information.
