I agree. The NRSV is an easy to read version but it is not liturgically approved and I would have hoped for a less “trendy” version of something so monumental. The RSV is used in Vatican document translations and would have been a better choice in my view.I’m glad you shared this story. I saw a story on the news about a decade ago when they had just started it, and another story a few years ago, so I’m glad to find out they’ve finished it.
I was a little disappointed they used the NRSV instead of the RSV, Douay-Rheims, or Vulgate (or I guess the Jerusalem Bible though I know very little about it) and I’m a little unsure about the artistic style, but in any case monks making a handmade Bible is pretty awesome.
These are probably volumes where the photos aren’t printed, but actually painted on via lithography, which is a mechanical process for reproduction using real paint. Instead of a normal printing, you’re getting an actual reproduction in every respect except that it’s mechanical and not done by hand. The book will be of an impressively higher quality.I just think this is the coolest thing!!
I have read that they will be selling full size “fascimilies” of the complete set for $120.000! What do they mean. Are these just prints? Why would they cost so much. What is a fascimilie?
I should also mention that you can get a regularly printed facsimile set in five or six hardcover volumes for a little over $200 at Amazon.com. Since it’s in multiple volumes, you don’t have to buy the whole thing at once. You can, say, pick up Gospels and Acts for like $44, for example, and buy another volume later.I just think this is the coolest thing!!
I have read that they will be selling full size “fascimilies” of the complete set for $120.000! What do they mean. Are these just prints? Why would they cost so much. What is a fascimilie?
Thanks Rolltide for your insight into the lithography,I should also mention that you can get a regularly printed facsimile set in five or six hardcover volumes for a little over $200 at Amazon.com. Since it’s in multiple volumes, you don’t have to buy the whole thing at once. You can, say, pick up Gospels and Acts for like $44, for example, and buy another volume later.
Actually the monks themselves did not make the bible, it was made by a team of calligraphers and an artist (who I believe is a protestant). The monk’s were involved in deciding the themes of the artwork and such, but not the actual writing or binding on the bible.I’m glad you shared this story. I saw a story on the news about a decade ago when they had just started it, and another story a few years ago, so I’m glad to find out they’ve finished it.
I was a little disappointed they used the NRSV instead of the RSV, Douay-Rheims, or Vulgate (or I guess the Jerusalem Bible though I know very little about it) and I’m a little unsure about the artistic style, but in any case monks making a handmade Bible is pretty awesome.
There’s a Protestant RSV too. In fact the pew Bibles in the church I grew up in were RSV and as of a couple years ago still were.I read that they used the NRSV because although it is the Catholic version, it is also the translation that was polled to be the least problematic for Protestants (since there is a Protestant NRSV as well). They are hoping that they will get at least some sales in the Protestant community as well.
I agree there is an element of beauty, but at the same time most of the images also have blocky geometric elements and/or fuzzy disordered images, which is not to my tastes at least.It’s beautiful beyond words.
You can see some of it at depressingly low-resolutions here;
saintjohnsbible.org/
If this is the same volume that I’ve seen, I was rather disappointed that the gold leaf that gave a lot of life to the original illustrations is printed as a dark beige.I should also mention that you can get a regularly printed facsimile set in five or six hardcover volumes for a little over $200 at Amazon.com. Since it’s in multiple volumes, you don’t have to buy the whole thing at once. You can, say, pick up Gospels and Acts for like $44, for example, and buy another volume later.