Last month’s article in UCRMN’s newsletter addressed the topic of the transmission of
the Bible throughout the centuries before the invention of the printing press. Now, perhaps you find this old analogue technology merely quaint; however, I certainly hold a different opinion. There are many benefits to a person, who sits down and with pen and paper, sets out to copy the Bible by hand, as was done for ancient manuscripts. Of course, there is the aid to memorization and retention that any “old school” student can recall when they reproduced their class notes in preparation for an pending examination. Still, there are a number of other benefits to copying scripture by hand. Here is a brief summary of other things that I have experienced, as I undertake my copying of the New Testament.
- It forces a person to slow down. In this fast-paced world, it is hard to slow down and relax. Handwriting forces one to reduce that speed. I use a dip pen (a steel nib and nib-holder, although there are glass dip pens) and bottled ink to make me work even more slowly. I must dip the pen in the ink after every few words, wipe it off on the edge of the bottle, and focus on the downstrokes of my letters, for the upward stroke can bite into my inexpensive paper and cause blotting, Thus, I have even changed my handwriting style to “American Roundhand” similar to the style in the late 1700’s. The end result is an handwriting improvement over my Grade 3 “Palmer-style” taught in elementary schools in the early 1960s.
- It improves a person’s discipline. I start writing early in the morning, when the household is quiet. I set up my writing instruments, ink, paper, Bible, and if needed, extra light. After a brief prayer I move on with the task. A final brief prayer after I conclude is topped off with a fresh hot cup of coffee. The “coffee time” allows me to meditate upon the section that I had just written. Over time, this process has improved my mood and increased my ability to concentrate and read in depth.
So what tools would one need to start? Here are some hints:
You will need something to write upon. In the past, Bibles were largely printed on
parchment, but paper is the modern choice. However, not all paper is created equal! The
quality, texture, and cost can vary. If you are going to produce an heirloom quality copy, I
would suggest using fountain pen grade paper. It is generally thicker and smoother. This
fact is important if you decide to use a fountain pen or a dip pen to prevent bleeding,
feathering and ghosting of your work due to the absorption of ink on poorer quality paper.(I use quality “Clairefontaine Triomphe” paper for my correspondence to my pen pals in
order to avoid these problems.) Still, if you chose to use a ball point pen or a gel pen, even
3 ring binder paper will work. I use a block of inexpensive notepads from “Staples” and
“Noodler’s”, “bulletproof black” fountain pen ink with pleasing results for my copying of
scripture.
Lastly, you will need to decide on a version of the Bible that you wish to copy. Presently,
we are inundated with versions of english translations. Pick one that you are either
comfortable with, or a version that will stimulate you to gain greater insight. After copyin
the New Testament, I have already decided to start working with the Septuagint version of
the Old Testament to better understand the Eastern Orthodox Church’s perspective, as it can vary from the Hebrew Masoretic text used in western protestant Bible translations.
In conclusion, I might offer the suggestion that you could try to have a small group of people undertake a small section of scripture during Lent, or even to start your own“scriptorium” with others in a home or church hall. Interesting discussions will certainly come out of the exercise. There is still one question that remains, and that is about the length of time required to actually write out the Bible by hand. Well, I cannot give you an exact figure, as the result depends on the daily time dedicated to writing, the choice of writing instrument that you use, and the style of script. If you are rather monk- like and want to produce a Bible in two column Carolingian minuscule script of the 700s, it would take much longer. Still, here is a brief guess. Should you write with a ballpoint pen or fountain pen, and if you spend 30 minutes a day, the whole Bible would take about 6 1/2 to 7 years.The Psalms alone would take about 10 months. Therefore, I hope that you can now have a greater appreciation of the work of all those medieval copyists, and that we stand on the shoulders of their wisdom and efforts when we read our Bible at home, or as we read fromthe Bible on our church pulpits today.
Rev. Martin Dawson (retired in Cornwall PEI)