Rare St. John’s Bible Special Edition Finds a Home at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC

(KNSI) — One of the rarest special editions of The St. John’s Bible is now at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

The St. John’s Bible Apostle Edition was presented to The Very Rev. Randolph Marshall Hollerith, Dean of the Washington National Cathedral, and The Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope, Provost, during a public dedication and blessing ceremony that took place during the National Cathedral’s Sunday Choral Evensong service on October 15th.

The work will be housed in the Virginia Mae Center, which is the Cathedral’s public programming venue. The Bible will be included in specialty programming and events offered through the Center.

“The monastic community of Saint John’s Abbey and the academic community of Saint John’s University are thrilled to have an Apostles Edition of The Saint John’s Bible residing in, and stewarded by, our Nation’s Cathedral and are deeply grateful to the generous benefactors who made this historic gift possible,” said the Right Rev. John Klassen, Abbot of Saint John’s Abbey.

There are 12 copies in existence – one for each of Jesus’s Apostles. Other institutions that have received an Apostles Edition include the Vatican Museum of Art, The Library of Congress, and the Morgan Library and Museum in New York.

The St. John’s Bible is the first handwritten, illuminated Bible commissioned by a Benedictine monastery in more than 500 years. It is produced on 100 percent cotton paper using lightfast ultraviolet ink. Each color is dried instantly on the press before another color is laid on. Accents are made from gold and silver foils.

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