A recent visit at Concordia Seminary
allowed the wives of the LCMS Presidium
and District Pastors to see the JS Bach Bible.
The Bach Bible also has a Bible commentary.
allowed the wives of the LCMS Presidium
and District Pastors to see the JS Bach Bible.
The Bach Bible also has a Bible commentary.
Abraham Calovius added notes and commentaries
to the Bible text.
For these notes,
he drew on the works of Martin Luther.
Bach's signature from 1733.
The Bible is in three volumes,
each with his signature and date.
There contain 348 underlinings,
marks of emphasis,
and marginalia in Bach's handwriting.
This has been proven by handwriting
and chemical analysis.
The Bible is in three volumes,
each with his signature and date.
There contain 348 underlinings,
marks of emphasis,
and marginalia in Bach's handwriting.
This has been proven by handwriting
and chemical analysis.
The three volume set was
printed in 1681 in Wittenberg.
Bach lived from 1685- 1750.
Martin Luther lived from 1483- 1546.
Martin Luther lived from 1483- 1546.
Abraham Calovius was the editor.
The Bibles have pigskin covers
with clasps. (Missing)
with clasps. (Missing)
They are kept in boxes in a safe
at Concordia Lutheran Seminary
in St Louis, MO.
My husband, John, remembers seeing them
on display when he was at this seminary.
(Graduated 1980)
They are not on display very often at this time.
The special discovery of the volumes
were made in June 1934.
A Lutheran minister, Christian G. Riedel,
was attending a session of the Missouri-Synod
was attending a session of the Missouri-Synod
of the American Lutheran Church
in Frankenmuth, Michigan.
in Frankenmuth, Michigan.
He was staying with his cousin Leonard Reichle.
His cousin showed him a Bible
and Riedel recognized Bach's signature.
Reichle then later found
the other 2 volumes in his attic.
the other 2 volumes in his attic.
His family had purchased
the 3 volume Calov Bible
in Philadelphia in the 1830's.
the 3 volume Calov Bible
in Philadelphia in the 1830's.
Reichle donated the three-volume set
to the Concordia Seminary Library
in St. Louis, Missouri in October 1938.
Only after the upheaval of World War II
was the Bible made known for Bach scholarship.
Only after the upheaval of World War II
was the Bible made known for Bach scholarship.
Bach has many notations
in the margins of the Bible.
in the margins of the Bible.
Some are clarifications, his own thoughts,
and even a correction or two.
Here is 2 Chronicles 5:13.
Bach wrote-
"Where there is devotional music,
God is always present with his grace."
So what is the significance
to a Bible Journaling
community centuries later?
There was significant denial through the ages
about Bach as a man of faith.
His Bible certainly shows a man
that spent time in the Word.
The margins met his points of confirmed belief
as well as a place to wrestle with understanding.
Margins do that.....
they become the human response to
THE DIVINE.
Margins become a part of a legacy.
A testimony.
So what is the significance
to a Bible Journaling
community centuries later?
There was significant denial through the ages
about Bach as a man of faith.
His Bible certainly shows a man
that spent time in the Word.
The margins met his points of confirmed belief
as well as a place to wrestle with understanding.
Margins do that.....
they become the human response to
THE DIVINE.
Margins become a part of a legacy.
A testimony.
Tracing the notes of ownership.
Something about the preservation of the Word.
Eternal significance for humans.And a place for heart notes
to God's Love letter to us.
Special thanks to Lyle Buettner -
Special Collections Librarian
for helping us to set up this wonderful visit.
buettnerl@csl.edu
Concordia Publishing House
has a book that tells the story
of the JS Bach Bible.
It is available here:
J-S-Bach-and-Scripture-
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