Writing the Bible

[hollis]

How about an update from everyone who is still working on hand writing the Bible. I started on Psalms about 6 months ago and I am up to Chapter 80. I have noticed several benefits from this exercise. First, I am reading the bible with real concentration. I am having to look carefully at the words and puncuation in order to carefully transcribe it and I am noticing things that I never saw before. Second, for me this is a really relaxing exercise. I work on it at night and no matter how stressful the day, an hour or so of writing seems to bring a real calmness and peace to my soul. Third, my handwriting has improved substantially.

How about everyone else?

[Denny]

An excellent idea. Do you use a caligraphy font? You can upload some sample pictures for viewing.

I wish you all the best in your effort.

Regards,

Denny

[blue suede]

I have just finished The Gospel of Mark for the FPN Bible project. It took about 50 days. I, as well, found it very relaxing and noticed many things I had not noticed before. Like the bread and fishes story told twice. Too much punctuation! Very redundant at times. I thought to myself about half way through it that if I have to write "And he said to them..."one more time I'm gonna lose it! But I indeed wrote it many more times!! Each book is different, I think, so what I said about the text will not always apply. My writing has also gotten much better, but I noticed that if I wrote for too long a period it would start to deteriorate.

Next will be The Book of Ruth. I'm going to use the Jewish Publication Society translation. I look forward to it because it is a very short book and I can try Illuminated Capitals and such. It will be fun.

[Judybug]

First, I am reading the bible with real concentration. I am having to look carefully at the words and puncuation in order to carefully transcribe it and I am noticing things that I never saw before.

 

I'm taking a Bible study course and one of the assignments was to write a particular chapter in Romans. I too was amazing at how much more I got out of this chapter through the exercise of copying it. I know what you mean about "noticing things that I never saw before."

 

Judybug

 

 

[savarez]

How about an update from everyone who is still working on hand writing the Bible. I started on Psalms about 6 months ago and I am up to Chapter 80.

 

Off Topic: Robert Alter has a new translation of the Book of Psalms with Commentary. I have read a few Psalms from it; his commentary notes alone are worth it. His translation and commentary of the Book of Genesis was revelatory.

Edited September 28, 2007 by savarez

[amh210]

How about an update from everyone who is still working on hand writing the Bible. I started on Psalms about 6 months ago and I am up to Chapter 80. I have noticed several benefits from this exercise. First, I am reading the bible with real concentration. I am having to look carefully at the words and puncuation in order to carefully transcribe it and I am noticing things that I never saw before. Second, for me this is a really relaxing exercise. I work on it at night and no matter how stressful the day, an hour or so of writing seems to bring a real calmness and peace to my soul. Third, my handwriting has improved substantially.

How about everyone else?

I'm making slow progress on the second half of Proverbs. I've completed 3 chapters.

 

Andy

[dhewers]

Neat idea! I wouldn't mind seeing some scans of your work as well! I read a Proverb each day (two on 30 day months) I may start writing the Proverbs in December.

 

Thanks for the post!

[Judybug]

Would somebody please tell me what size paper we are to use. I want to get started on the part of Romans that I committed to, but I don't know whether to use 8 1/2" x 11" paper or 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" or some other size. Also are we doing two columns on each page? Maybe this information is in that other 10 page thread, but I don't want to wade through all that. So those of you who have already started and are working like Trojans, please help me! I want to play, too.

 

Judybug

[blue suede]

Would somebody please tell me what size paper we are to use. I want to get started on the part of Romans that I committed to, but I don't know whether to use 8 1/2" x 11" paper or 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" or some other size. Also are we doing two columns on each page? Maybe this information is in that other 10 page thread, but I don't want to wade through all that. So those of you who have already started and are working like Trojans, please help me! I want to play, too.

 

Judybug

 

This is how I understand it. A5 is going to be the final size no matter what. If you choose to write on A4 paper, that is fine but it is going to be reduced to fit in the final scanned edition. That is if we live long enough to see it! I did the Gospel of Mark on A5 and found it rather cramped. I wanted to do two columns but found it impossible. I think I am going to do the Book of Ruth on A4 with 2 columns and try to write large enough that the reduction will not look too strange.

[Judybug]

Would somebody please tell me what size paper we are to use. I want to get started on the part of Romans that I committed to, but I don't know whether to use 8 1/2" x 11" paper or 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" or some other size. Also are we doing two columns on each page? Maybe this information is in that other 10 page thread, but I don't want to wade through all that. So those of you who have already started and are working like Trojans, please help me! I want to play, too.

 

Judybug

 

This is how I understand it. A5 is going to be the final size no matter what. If you choose to write on A4 paper, that is fine but it is going to be reduced to fit in the final scanned edition. That is if we live long enough to see it! I did the Gospel of Mark on A5 and found it rather cramped. I wanted to do two columns but found it impossible. I think I am going to do the Book of Ruth on A4 with 2 columns and try to write large enough that the reduction will not look too strange.

 

blue suede - MANY THANKS! Maybe I'll get started now.

 

Judybug

 

[SteveR]

How about an update from everyone who is still working on hand writing the Bible. I started on Psalms about 6 months ago and I am up to Chapter 80. I have noticed several benefits from this exercise. First, I am reading the bible with real concentration. I am having to look carefully at the words and puncuation in order to carefully transcribe it and I am noticing things that I never saw before. Second, for me this is a really relaxing exercise. I work on it at night and no matter how stressful the day, an hour or so of writing seems to bring a real calmness and peace to my soul. Third, my handwriting has improved substantially.

How about everyone else?

 

 

Hey hollis. I'm really excited about writing out the entire bible. I'm not sure how you guys are doing it though. My thought was use the thinnest paper possible, that is opaque and doesn't allow ink to bleed through. I would like to bind it eventually once it's finished. My problem is I don't know what kind of paper or pen to use. I wanted paper thin enough that once I'm finished, the bible isn't over a foot thick. And I wanted to be able to write on both sides of the page without seeing the other sides ink. Any suggestions?

 

Steve

[escribo]

What an interesting project!

[Doug Add]

Thanks for the reminder. I started work on Habakkuk, set it aside and forgot about it. I'll get going again this weekend.

[escribo]

 

Hey hollis. I'm really excited about writing out the entire bible. I'm not sure how you guys are doing it though. My thought was use the thinnest paper possible, that is opaque and doesn't allow ink to bleed through. I would like to bind it eventually once it's finished. My problem is I don't know what kind of paper or pen to use. I wanted paper thin enough that once I'm finished, the bible isn't over a foot thick. And I wanted to be able to write on both sides of the page without seeing the other sides ink. Any suggestions?

 

Steve

You're transcribing the WHOLE bible?

That is amazing! I can't help but applaud your effort.

How long will that take?

[wvbeetlebug]

My progress has also been very slow. I think it's taken me about two years to transcribe what I have. I am working on 1 Samuel. I really need to push myself to finish this project. I am using 8.5x11 paper. I was using my own calligraphy like writing, but I have since switched to my normal handwriting.

[Siv]

I've done the first chapter about 3 times now. The first time, I printed a template on some letter paper but then found the template was wrong. The second time, I used a few different types on ink in a note book and one of them feathered terribly. I just finished the third go at it and hopefully this time it'll be OK. I did make one mistake already where I missed out a verse but I just scratched that page and did it again.

 

I do notice that my handwriting is changing the more and more I write in a single sitting.

[Gilbou]

That's an interesting idea. When I was a student, I found that rewriting difficult to learn lessons worked very well.

I would write 2/3 times such kind of lessons, and it would just stick to memory. So well that even ten years later I can still write them down again for most.

 

I got two sets of : the "Bible de Jerusalem" which is a french translation from the Greek version, done by the scholars at the Jerusalem school (I don't know of what, but that's where it's been translated) and of course, the King James' edition in english

 

Is there some book available with enough pages so an handwritten bible would fit in only one volume ?

 

Has any finished and could tell us how many pages it requires ?

[pmsalty]

Still plugging along in Judges. Not much will be done though until the holidays are over.

PMS

[SteveR]

 

Hey hollis. I'm really excited about writing out the entire bible. I'm not sure how you guys are doing it though. My thought was use the thinnest paper possible, that is opaque and doesn't allow ink to bleed through. I would like to bind it eventually once it's finished. My problem is I don't know what kind of paper or pen to use. I wanted paper thin enough that once I'm finished, the bible isn't over a foot thick. And I wanted to be able to write on both sides of the page without seeing the other sides ink. Any suggestions?

 

Steve

You're transcribing the WHOLE bible?

That is amazing! I can't help but applaud your effort.

How long will that take?

 

 

Well it is a long term project. There's ruffly 31,000 verses. I figue if I write out 8 verses a day, it will take 10 years. Me and my wife would like to do one for each of our 4 kids wee planning on having, God willing.

[Siv]

I just realized that I think there is some confusion here. Some people here are writing the bible for their own needs. Others are writing as part of the FPN bible project, more details of which can be found on this thread.

 

I was taking about the FPN project