Associated Press
Although rare now, hand-crafted Bibles were common before the invention of the printing press. In those times, monks who made ornate copies of the Bible saw it as part of their sacred calling.
Although rare now, hand-crafted Bibles were common before the invention of the printing press. In those times, monks who made ornate copies of the Bible saw it as part of their sacred calling.
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| Photos: Laura Glazer |
Four years ago Phillip Patterson, a retired interior designer, began transcribing the King James Bible. 2,400 pages and a multitude of pens later, as he copies the last words of the last book, Patterson sees all that he has created.
In the beginning (2007), Patterson copied the first five books of the Bible, known as the Pentateuch. Work on this “prototype” allowed him to figure out technique, layout and technical details like the type of paper (19-by-13-inch watercolor) and writing instruments (felt-tip pens). He pencils in ruled lines on the sheets to guide his writing and erases them when he is done, leaving black ink on creamy white pages.
Patterson does not see any kinship to those long-ago scribes, seeing himself merely as a regular guy who ended up learning something.
“…I came to discover there was more in the bible than I had been told. The only way to find out what was in it was to sit down and write it.”
Patterson does not see any kinship to those long-ago scribes, seeing himself merely as a regular guy who ended up learning something.
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| Photo: AP |
