The Saint John's Bible
Christ Church in Short Hills is honored to be a permanent home for the Heritage Edition of The Saint John’s Bible, an extraordinary work of sacred art that invites us to encounter Scripture through beauty, imagination, and faith.
Commissioned in 1998 by Saint John’s Abbey and University in Minnesota, The Saint John’s Bible was created by renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson and a team of artists and scribes. Its handwritten text and hand-painted illuminations unite ancient Benedictine tradition with a contemporary artistic vision, offering fresh ways to reflect on the Word of God.
The original manuscript remains in Minnesota, while the seven-volume Heritage Edition brings its beauty to communities around the world. Limited to 299 sets, this fine-art facsimile faithfully captures the scale and detail of the original. Christ Church is home to one of only two publicly available sets in New Jersey.
Here, the Bible will be part of our worship, study, and prayer—a living invitation to explore Scripture through sight, touch, and shared reflection.
The Saint John's Bible Origins
Creation of this unique Bible was sponsored by Saint John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minnesota. The project’s mission was to ignite the spiritual imagination of people around the world by the creation of this unique Bible. World-renowned calligrapher Donald Jackson, the Senior Scribe to England’s Royal Family, was the artistic director. He oversaw a group of six calligraphers and six artists who labored 11 years to write each word by hand and illuminate the pages with stunning works of art.
The calligraphers hand-wrote all 1,150 pages on approximately 300 sheets of calfskin vellum, using traditional turkey, swan and goose quills. Each page of calligraphy took 8-12 hours to produce. To create the dazzling illuminations, the artists used cakes of pigment mixed with egg yolk, following medieval tradition, to create the colors. Gold leaf was used to bring the art to life.
The Saint John's Bible is
Igniting the Spiritual Imagination
While following traditional techniques, The Saint John’s Bible is very much a Bible for our times. It uses the widely accepted New Revised Standard translation of the scriptures. It is committed to honoring women, communities of color, and science. Strands of DNA are woven into the illumination of the “Genealogy of Christ.” The Twin Towers in New York appear in the illumination of Luke’s parables. Satellite photos of the Ganges River Delta and photos from the Hubble telescope are used to depict Creation.
In order to share the beauty and inspiration of this unique Bible with more people, 299 copies were made. Donald Jackson insisted that they be near exact replicas of the original – down to the weight and feel of the pages, the colors used in printing, and the use of gold embossing, hand burnished to replicate the play of light that is so spectacular in the original.
We encourage groups to visit Christ Church to view the calligraphy and illuminations. Our docents can offer a presentation on the making of this Bible and show visitors highlights.
Email or call the main office at 973-279-2898 to arrange a visit Monday-Friday.
