SCTR 15: Texting God: The Saint John's Bible, Heritage Edition: Introduction

Matthew 1:1-17, The Genealogy of Jesus

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What is the SJB Manuscript?

The Saint John's Bible is both a work of art and a work of theology. It unites the Benedictine traditions with the technology of the 21st century.  The Saint John’s Bible manuscript was developed by two groups: the eleven members of the Committee on Illumination and Text or the CIT at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, and Donald Jackson and his team of scribes and illuminators (15 in all) who worked from his scriptorium in Wales, Great Britain. The first words were written on Ash Wednesday in 2000 and  on May 9, 2011, the final word, “Amen,” was penned.

The original manuscript of the Saint John’s Bible is at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. The version of the SJB in Archives & Special Collection is called the Heritage Edition.  It was donated by Tita Crilly Diepenbrock, the widow of an Alum.

The Heritage Edition is a life-size reproduction of the original Saint John's Bible that recreates the beauty of the original manuscript.  Printed on 100% uncoated cotton paper, using state of the art offset lithographic technology, each volume is bound by hand, and includes hand-treated illuminations, making the Heritage Edition much more than just a fine print reproduction.  Every Heritage Edition volume is signed by Donald Jackson.  The Archives & Special Collections Heritage Edition is No. 27 of only 299 copies.