Illuminated Bible: GIVEAWAY!

UPDATE: Giveaway closed. Winner is Donna M. Please send your info within24 hours! Watch for a new giveaway.

Read to the bottom to find out how to win your own copy of the Illuminated Bible.

I discovered Bible journaling about two years ago.  I first started writing out verses in a blank journal.

This verse has always made me think of an unfinished jigsaw puzzle.

My grandpa had a sign in the kitchen that said, "It's better to be silent and thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt". I merged a picture of an owl (wise) and a jester hat (fool).

Later I got a journaling Bible with wide margins. 

I've seen the Fruit of the Spirit drawn as a fruit bowl, but I loved the idea of jars of fruit.

This is an example of "re-creation". I loved the little girl in armor.

I am not necessarily a creative person, but I am a "re-creative" person. By that, I mean I can take I find and re-create them. They are not identical, but they are beautiful. I searched for a resource that would give me ideas on a specific verse, but I didn't find any. So I created a book by book set of Pinterest boards. There is a separate board for each book of the Bible, as well as lettering styles, hymns, and "how to draw" pages.

I recently learned that the practice of adding decoration to manuscripts--known as illumination--dates back to the 5th century.  This practice continued into the Middle Ages. Monks and artists used richly colored pigments and gold and silver leaves to add decoration to the pages of books and Bibles. They did this to help common folk--who could not read the words--understand the Word of God (Source Illuminated Bible).

I had the opportunity to review the beautiful new Illuminated Bible. Honestly, when I first saw it, I was not too excited. The colors and the artwork were not the cute and whimsical designs I had seen in other journaling Bibles I had seen. But then I took a closer look, and read about the process that was used to create the ESV Illuminated Bible, my opinion changed. (You can watch a short video here.)

The artist, Dana Tanamachi, and a team of researchers looked at biblical text and found themes, motifs, symbols, and imagery on which they based the artwork. She incorporated these elements in a way that honored the historical environment, context, and theme of each book. The artwork was inspired by late 19th and early 20th century design and typography. The artwork use motifs from Arts and rafts Movements and the art nouveau period.

The verses are meant to act as ebenezers--landmarks of God's faithfulness to creation, reminders of his salvific plan, and signposts to his abiding commitment to display his glory in all the earth. (Source).

The Illuminated Bible website is full of information. I loved the Illustration Index, you can see a picture of each book introduction, as well as a description of the elements and symbolism included in the picture. I included a few samples.

1 SAMUEL
The bows, arrows, javelin, sword, sling, and crown illustrated here showcase the transfer of power and the battles that took place during the reigns of both King Saul and King David. The palm branches point toward the eventual triumphal entry and reign of Jesus.

ISAIAH
In 58:11 those who trust in the Lord are compared to a flourishing and well-watered garden whose springs flow unceasingly. This is a picture of the complete restoration the Lord offers to his people and the earth one day.

2 CORINTHIANS
In chapter 4, Paul lays out his famous description of what it means for Christians to have hope in the unseen and to persevere through hardship, “carrying in the body the death of Jesus” (verse 10) by considering the gospel to be a “treasure in jars of clay” (verse 7)

The ESV Illuminated Bible includes the full ESV (English Standard Version) Bible with over 500 elegantly hand-lettered gold ink illustrations. It is printed on thick cream-colored paper. The single column with wide margins provides generous space for additional notes, prayers, or drawings.

There are 64 full page book opener illustrations (1, 2, and 3 John are on one page). There are 50 additional full page verse illustrations. There are over 250 hand-lettered verses in the margins and over 100 other illustrations.  The artist, Dana Tanamachi, is a lettering artist, graphic designer, and illustrator who has been commissioned by clients such as Target, Google, and Time Magazine.

I am looking forward to studying God's word while coloring these beautiful pages.

You can buy this beautiful Bible here.  One of my readers will win a free copy of the Illuminated Bible.

To enter, leave a comment below.  For extra entries, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest. Share this post on any of these (or your blog) using the links on the post. Let me know in a comment which things you did.

Contest ends December 1st.

“Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255:  “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):  Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway.  Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway.  If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller /FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days on the same blog, you are not eligible to win.  Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Open only to the continental U.S.