Saint John's Bible is a work of art that brings together scripture and contemporary illustration. The first hand written Bible in over 500 years, it incorporates 160 major illustrations with artwork that references cave paintings, DNA, the Hubble Telescope, the AIDS virus and the Twin Towers. This 1,127 page work on calfskin vellum, took 12 years to complete. The project was commissioned by Saint John's Abby in Minnesota and was the lifelong dream project of Donald Jackson, one of the world's most famous calligraphers and the scribe to the House of Lords and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Tim Ternes, Director of The Saint John's Bible, visited Sister Mary Kay's Typography II class to give students a close up view of the Bible. Students also had hands on experience drawing letters with a quill pen and ink. They used the same materials as the Bible's calligraphers had used.

A student prepares the ink.

Students learn to prepare the quill.

Tim Ternes demonstrates using a quill pen.