New Testament

It’s a rare child who, when asked about his or her future aspirations, expresses the desire to become scribe to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and to one day inscribe a modern-day Bible.

Donald Jackson was one such wunderkind who realized his vision. One of the world’s most prominent calligraphers, the Englishman currently resides over the production of the Saint John’s Bible, the first handwritten and illuminated Bible commissioned in more than 500 years. The work features Eastern, Western, and Native American traditions along with reflections on mankind’s advancements in art, science, and technology.

Samples from Jackson’s work are presently on view in the “Illuminated Manuscripts” triumvirate of exhibitions: “Illuminating the Word: The Saint John’s Bible,” “The Early History of the Bible,” and the never-before-displayed “Selections From the James Melikian Collection.”