Description
Copying the Bible by hand is a very old spiritual exercise in both Christianity and Judaism. But the
unfortunate development of the printing press, starting in the 15th century, made the practice of this craft
less common. Consequently, the present work, in the King James Version, seems to be the only
calligraphic edition of the Four Gospels available in English. Note that the Italicized words appearing in
most editions of the King James Version indicate clarifying additions to earlier versions. This distinction
seems unnecessary, and the scribe has not used it. He has carefully compared this copy with type-set
editions, and he would appreciate being notified of any mistakes.
About the Author
W. John Cocke was born in Asheville, N. C., in 1937. He was fortunate enough to have parents who
instilled in him a love of the arts and sciences. He attended N.C. State University, the University of
Munich, and Cornell University, where he received the Ph. D. in physics in 1964. In 1968 he and his wife
Claire moved to Tucson, Arizona. He taught astronomy and did research in astronomy and physics here
until his retirement in 2000. He has been using calligraphy as a vehicle for self-expression since about
1975. His skills in this area support his love of the written word and the graphic arts in physics and
mathematics
