I’ve Started Handwriting the Bible

I first became intrigued with handwriting the Bible about three years ago, when I was researching the Masoretes, people who handwrite the Torah for use in Synagogues. (See my article Who were the Masoretes?)

I’ve had the idea in the back of my head that I would copy the Bible after I retired, but I didn’t expect that to happen for several years. As life turned out, I ended up retiring early, so I decided to start handwriting the Bible, and wrote my first page on August 10, 2022. I’m still in the learning stages, trying to select a fountain pen, nib, ink and paper that I’ll be happy with.

For now, I’m copying the Gospel of Luke. I started out by printing pages of Luke in light gray, then tracing over the letters, trying to improve my handwriting. I’m hoping I can pick a pen, nib, ink and paper before I’m finished with Luke, but if not, I’ll copy Acts. Once I’m happy with my selections, I’ll probably copy a Harmony of the Gospels. When that’s finished, I’ll start with Genesis, but probably write the Bible in Chronological order (at the suggestion of my wife).

During this process, I also want to learn bookbinding binding so I can bind the pages when I’m finished (likely in 4-6 volumes).