St. John’s Bible: Volume 4 – Psalms

Psalms, Frontispiece

A two-page frontispiece for the book of Psalms shows the five books of the Psalms, set up like open scrolls, coming together to make a menorah. This five-book structure of Psalms mimics the five-book structure of the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

A recurring motif on these two pages is the stamped gold archways inspired by the cathedral at Compostela. Here, the archways speak to both the Temple of Jerusalem—where people first met to sing these songs—and to modern houses of worship. Gold bars float across the page, symbolizing the chanting and singing of psalms throughout all manners of life. The text of Psalm 1 is inscribed across the sides of this illustration, epitomizing and foreshadowing the upcoming book.

Psalms Frontispiece, Donald Jackson, Copyright 2004, The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University,
Collegeville, Minnesota, USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Psalm 150, Sally Mae Joseph (artist, scribe), Copyright 2004, The Saint John’s Bible, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, Minnesota, USA. Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, Copyright 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Volume 5 – The Prophets