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. Liturgical Press
 

The second of seven full-color, page-by-page reproductions from The Saint John's Bible, Psalms engages the eye and ear with five distinct scripts and exquisite illuminations that include digital voice prints of sacred songs from many ethnic and religious traditions.

The Book of Psalms or "praises" is known as the prayer book of the Bible. For centuries, it has been a source of prayer, devotion, and inspiration. Part of the popularity of the Psalms is that they incorporate the entire breadth of human emotion and experience-joy, fear, anger, love-all the things we bring to God in our prayer.

Visual representations of chants from Benedictine and other traditions are the basis for illuminations of the Psalms. The varying pitch of the chants is rendered graphically to provide a motif for the abstract illumination. Every Psalm page features a small gold image that graphically renders the chanting of the monks from Saint John's Abbey. This process of reading of the Psalms is a continuous reminder that the Psalms are to be sacred songs-and that in such singing God is present.

Jackson chose colors to represent different themes, and designs to symbolize the different types of Psalms. He devised a way of weaving the two together that resulted in a unique script, colors and shading. Readers can identify the patterns representing the national history of Israel corresponding with the individual types of Psalms.

The way the Psalms appear in The Saint John's Bible provide a way to read our favorite Psalms with new eyes so that we might truly see the Psalms whether they are sung or read poetically. Liturgical Press
 

Prophets includes artistic depictions from Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Micah, Amos, Daniel, and Zechariah. Major images are Isaiah's Vision of the New Temple, Suffering Servant, Ezekiel's Call, Valley of the Dry Bones, Daniel's Son of Man, Amos' Plea for Social Justice, and Zechariah's Messianic Predictions. In addition, famous passages such as Isaiah 2:4 "He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" receive special calligraphic and artistic treatment. Liturgical Press
 

The Wisdom books exemplify the practical spirituality of the people of Israel. Using story, poetry, and aphorisms, the books collect practical wisdom to help guide people in how to live-faithful to God, with praise and thankfulness, walking in ways that are upright. The profoundly moving story of Job asks how a good person can suffer if God is just. The Song of Solomon, long read as an allegorical love poem between God and the chosen people of Israel, or as Christ and the church, takes us beyond the commands of the prophets and lessons of history. It steps back from Israel’s struggle to be faithful to the Lord and concentrates on the loving relationship between the Lord and the Beloved. Sirach and Proverbs, along with Psalms, are quoted throughout the Rule of St. Benedict. Like the Rule, their pages are filled with wisdom for how to live a godly life. The Saint John's Bible volume Wisdom Books draws out these themes-wisdom as a female figure, use of Proverbs in the Rule of St. Benedict, and God's love for us. If we today want to live wisely, we would do well to look to this beautifully illuminated collection of ancient texts. Liturgical Press
 

The first of seven full-color, page-by-page reproductions from The Saint John's Bible, Gospels and Acts has more than 25 illuminations, including full-page opening illuminations for each of the four gospels. Some of the prominent illuminations include the Genealogy of Jesus, the Birth of Christ, the Raising of Lazarus, the Crucifixion, Christ Our Light, the Last Supper, the Road to Emmaus, and Pentecost.

The Word of God, hand-illuminated through ancient methods by a contemporary master, brings the reader to an epiphany of the sacred. Those who allow themselves to savor the experience unfolding before them will come to see how Gospels and Acts beautifully marries text and image to serve the Word. Liturgical Press