The St. John's Bible- Ruth and Naomi

Left- Ruth and Naomi -----Ruth 1:16-18

Right- Ruth the Gleaner-----Ruth 2:2-23

 Suzanne Moore

 Scribe-Sue Hufton

Vellum, with ink paint and gold

"Bereft of her husband and two sons in a foreign country

 the Jewish Naomi, mother-in-law to Ruth, 

decides to return to Bethlehem 

during a time of famine. 

Ruth, a Moabite, remains loyal to Naomi 

despite their different ethnicities, 

and these verses and the illumination express 

the depth of love and fidelity Ruth has for Naomi.

This loyalty is rewarded in history 

when the Moabite Ruth becomes the grandmother

 of the Jewish King David.

Second Illumination- The Gleaning

"Since Jewish law stipulated that a land owner

 had to allow the poor and the alien to glean 

the harvested files, 

the marginalized had food and nutrition. 

Gleaning is hard work, but it is also a gift, 

and Boaz, a relative of Naomi, 

grants permission to glean off his land. 

Ruth's gleaning leads to love, 

and soon she and Boaz are married 

providing the "seed" for the future king.

Ruth's stature is evident as she looks up into the page. 

She carries an expansive basket of abundance 

and promise, and the lines

 of her dress cascade down creating 

a graceful design of Stars of David."

These graceful images beautifully

 reinforce the connection of

Ruth, Bethlehem, and David in the lineage of 

Jesus.