A Masterpiece of Biblical proportions made by the most sophisticated tools ever created: Human hands.

Donald Jackson expresses in media interviews his lifetime dream of creating an illuminated Bible.

Following a calligraphy presentation at the Newberry Library in Chicago sponsored by Saint John’s, Jackson discusses a handwritten Bible with Fr. Eric Hollas, OSB, Director of the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library at Saint John’s University.

Saint John’s explores the feasibility of the Bible project. Jackson creates first samples and theologians develop illumination schema.

The Saint John’s Bible is officially commissioned; funding opportunities are launched, and the public is introduced to the project.

On March 8, Ash Wednesday, the first words of The Saint John’s Bible are written by Donald Jackson. The verses are from the gospel of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, the Word was God…”

On April 20, in a special ceremony, the first completed volume of The Saint John’s Bible, Gospel and Acts, is presented to the public.

In August Donald Jackson arrives to present the second completed volume, the Pentateuch.

Psalms is unveiled in April at a ceremony at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. On May 26, a delegation from the project presents a facsimile of the Bible to Pope John Paul II in Rome.

The fourth completed volume, Prophets, is unveiled in conjunction with the opening of the international touring exhibit, Illuminating the Word, at the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

In July three representatives of Saint John’s traveled to Monmouth, Wales, to bring Wisdom Books, the fifth completed volume, home to Minnesota. Donald Jackson formally presents the volume to the Committee on Illumination and Text at Saint John’s on September 28th.

The Heritage Program is officially announced to raise money to to finish the original manuscript, endow its upkeep in perpetuity, and establish a scholarship fund.

Sales of the Heritage Edition begin, including gifts to the Mayo Clinic and St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

Meetings held at John Roberts Printing Company to define Donald’s involvement and decide how to proceed with the printing of the Heritage Edition.

Donald Jackson is named artistic director of the facsimile project in addition to the original manuscript.

On April 4, 2008, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI was presented with the Heritage Edition, Prophets Edition of The Saint John’s Bible and states, “This is a work of art, a great work of art … a work for eternity.”

Dedication of an Apostles Edition at the Vatican Museum, Vatican City

Dedication of an Apostles Edition at the Morgan Library, New York City, NY.

80 percent of Historical Books is completed; Tim Ternes and Linda Orzechowski travel to Wales to collect the originals and take them to Saint John’s.

The Saint John’s Bible is placed on exhibition at the Walter’s Art Museum in Baltimore, MD. Wisdom Books and Prophets pages are placed in the historical context of the significant rare book collection of the museum.

From February to August, The Saint John’s Bible is placed alongside the Dead Sea Scrolls at an exhibition at the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Donald Jackson begins work on Letters and Revelation, the seventh and final volume making up The Saint John’s Bible.

Donald Jackson presents the remaining pages of the Historical Books volume to the acceptance committee at Saint John’s. This brings the largest and most challenging volume to completion.

The final 20% of the Historical Books pages are completed and Sarah Harris and John Parfitt travel to Minnesota to deliver the remaining pages.

The final “AMEN” in Letters and Revelation is written.

The entire creation team, spouses, partners, supporters, and two representatives from Saint John’s University gather at the Scriptorium gather to celebrate their completion and achievement of their work.

A grand closing celebration is held in The Saint John’s Bible Abbey Church. Abbot John Klassen, OSB, and Fr. Robert Koopmann, OSB, burnished two gold Saint John’s Benedictine crosses on the final vellum skin of the manuscript as a symbolic last mark in The Saint John’s Bible on the altar.

The Saint John’s Bible is welcomed back to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts to showcase 18 pages from the final volume in an exhibition titled “The Saint John’s Bible: Amen!”

The completion of the Heritage Edition, the full-size museum quality reproduction of The Saint John’s Bible, is celebrated on April 26.

Minnesota calligrapher and artist, Diane von Arx, begins work on The Book of Honor, the book listing all the people who made The Saint John’s Bible possible. This hand-lettered “eighth” volume is the same size and made of the same materials as The Saint John’s Bible.

Dedication of an Apostles Edition at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Pope Francis receives Letters and Revelation, the final volume of the Heritage Edition at the Vatican during the annual meeting of the Papal Foundation. The Pope listened intently as the project was described and responded by raising both of his hands when artists, Donald Jackson, showed him the final illumination that depicts the Vision of the New Jerusalem.

Diane von Arx completed the last illumination in The Book of Honor. This hand-lettered donor book gracefully presents every person involved in the making of The Saint John’s Bible. Diane von Arx was the sole calligrapher, artist and director of this full-scale project.

Donald Jackson was awarded the Apostolic Honor of Knighthood in the Order of Saint Gregory the Great. The investiture ceremony was held at London’s Westminster Cathedral and officiated by his Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster.

The 100th Heritage Edition is acquired.

Saint John’s University launches a study to examine if and how The Saint John’s Bible may be bound into seven volumes.

Dedication of an Apostles Edition at the Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C.

The 25th Anniversary of the commissioning of The Saint John’s Bible is celebrated with a tour to London, with dedication services at Sarum College, Canterbury Cathedral, and Lambeth Palace Library, an Apostles Edition gifted in honor of Queen Elizabeth II.

Saint John’s University decides to move forward with a traditional conservation binding approach to the seven volumes of The Saint John’s Bible. Tim Ternes, Director of The Saint John’s Bible, begins a work to secure a binder in the UK and move toward the binding of the first volume within the next two years.

The Rev. Dr. John Ross, Brad Neary, benefactors, and others from Saint John’s travel to Wales for dedication services at St Davids Cathedral, in honor of Donald and Mabel Jackson and Windsor Castle, in honor of HRH King Charles III.

Dedication of an Apostles Edition at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City, NY.