See 'The Saint John's Bible: Celebrating Timeless Art' through Jan. 3
Spearheaded by Pastor Dave Daubert of Zion Lutheran Church, a collaborative effort between his church, Christ the Lord Lutheran Church, Congregation Kneseth Israel and St. Mary's Church brought two Heritage edition volumes of the "extraordinary" St. John's Bible to this area.
Those volumes will be on display at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave. in Elgin, through Jan. 3.
The Pentateuch is composed of the first five books of the Old Testament, also known as the Torah. They are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
The Gospels and Acts include the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, disciples of Jesus.
Although the volumes on display at the library are Heritage editions, replicas of the originals created under the direction of artist Donald Jackson, much detailed work went into them. The paper is 100-percent cotton but was printed with watermarks to make the pages look like the velum of the original. The leather-bound books are hand stitched; 24 karat gold leaf and silver foils were added to the art by hand.
Except for events or when the Bibles are being utilized by one of the partners, one volume will be on display on the library's second floor. Visitors can view additional artwork from the volumes on a nearby high-resolution digital kiosk.
"Having the St. John's Bible is an incredible opportunity for people from both religious groups interested in history or interested in art to see something truly remarkable. This is the first English language handwritten Bible in the history of the world," said Dave Daubert Pastor, Zion Lutheran Church. "It is an opportunity to see religious groups cooperate. Bringing these volumes to this area is an endeavor co-sponsored by Jewish, Christian-Catholic, Christian-Protestant groups together."
The Smithsonian Institution describes this project as, "One of the truly extraordinary undertakings of this century."
For more information about The Saint John's Bible, go to www.gailborden.info/bible.
For those interested in a tour, please contact Pastor Dave Daubert at PastorDave@ZionElginIL.org.
A screening of "The Illuminator: Bible for the 21st Century" from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23, in the Meadows Community Rooms. The BBC program will tell the story of calligrapher Donald Jackson and his team that spent 11 years creating this masterwork. Light refreshments will be offered at 6:30 p.m., followed by the film at 7 p.m.
An interactive reception will be held from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12, in the library lobby. Both volumes will be on display in the first-floor lobby. Visitors will enjoy the ability to have pages turned, explore illuminated art, and interact with trained guides who will help people engage these amazing books.
From Saint John's University: "The paper of the Heritage Edition is designed specifically for this project. The weight and feel of the pages approximate that of the vellum used in the original manuscript. Donald Jackson directed the making of the Heritage Edition. Throughout every process to assure its fidelity to the original. The pages are printed using state-of-the-art offset lithographic printing technology from Heidelberg Corporation. Mr. Jackson approved every page before final printing. Correspondence to the original is so important that even the 'show-through' caused by transparency in the vellum is captured on the pages of the Heritage Edition.
After printing, gold and silver foils are applied using a series of stamping and embossing processes. In places where results cannot be achieved through mechanical means, Donald Jackson's studio manager, Sarah Harris, has hand treated the illuminations. Therefore, no two Heritage Edition sets are identical. The volumes are bound - by hand - in a single piece of Italian calfskin leather and adorned with a solid silver clasp. Each head band and tail band is hand sewn in Pakistan. Each volume is numbered and initialed by Donald Jackson, and protected in a burgundy clamshell box."