Saturday, October 3, 2020

The Bible


Bible Illustrated is a project where one Eastern Orthodox guy is attempting to illustrate the entire Bible using (primarily) traditional media, such as colored pencils, ink, watercolours, tempera and such. The imagery is based on Eastern Orthodox iconography. This labour is made possible by many patrons on different platforms whose pledges help me devote more time to the illustrations.

If a book of the Bible or a chapter within it is a link, it means it contains original illustrations of verses within those books and chapters. 100% mark in front of a chapter signifies that the entire chapter has been illustrated, and a YouTube link means that you can listen to me narrate the chapter as you watch the appropriate illustrations.

Translation used within the project is the 1899 American edition of the Douay–Rheims Bible. I have opted for this translation because it is in public domain, and it contains deuterocanonical books many of the modern Protestant Bibles sadly lack. These books were considered as canonical Scripture by Christians for a millenia and half and they will also be illustrated in due time.

You are free to use the images in this blog however you wish (commercial use included). If you plan to use the images commercially, please consider donating to the project.

Over time this project has evolved significantly. It now includes new media (initially it was only colored pencils), but now it has its own YouTube channel (where I comment on different aspects of Eastern Orthodox spirituality) as well as a webcomic. Both the channel and the webcomic are seen by me as promotional tools for the biblical illustrations, even though the channel has proven to be more popular. All three (illustrations, channel and webcomic) are there for the edification of the Church and in the glory of the Most Holy and Life Giving Trinity. Amen!


Organizations of Drawings
Clickable links represent the books of the Bible that have at least one complete chapter. Drawings that are not as of yet have parts of a full (or nearly full) chapter are located in the Piles next to the corresponding books:


OLD TESTAMENT
Book of Genesis - Genesis Pile
Book of Exodus - Exodus Pile
Book of Leviticus - Leviticus Pile
Book of Numbers - Numbers Pile
Book of Deuteronomy - Deuteronomy Pile
Book of Joshua - Joshua Pile
Book of Judges - Judges Pile
Book of Ruth 
1 Samuel - 1 Samuel Pile
2 Samuel - 2 Samuel Pile
1 Kings - 1 Kings Pile
2 Kings - 2 Kings Pile
First Book of Chronicles - 1 Chronicles Pile
Second Book of Chronicles - 2 Chronicles Pile
First Book of Ezra
Second Book of Ezra - 2 Ezra Pile
Book of Nehemiah
Book of Tobit - Tobit Pile
Book of Judith
Book of Esther
First Book of Maccabees
Second Book of Maccabees
Third Book of Maccabees
Book of Psalms - Psalms Pile
Book of Job - Job Pile
Proverbs of Solomon - Proverbs Pile
Book of Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs - Song of Songs Pile
Wisdom of Solomon - Wisdom Pile
Wisdom of Sirach - Sirach Pile
Book of Hosea
Book of Amos - Amos Pile
Book of Micah - Micah Pile
Book of Joel
Book of Obadiah
Book of Jonah
Book of Nahum
Book of Habakkuk
Book of Zephaniah
Book of Haggai
Book of Zechariah
Book of Malachi
Book of Isaiah - Isaiah Pile
Book of Jeremiah - Jeremiah Pile
Book of Baruch
Lamentation of Jeremiah
Epistle of Jeremiah
Book of Ezekiel - Ezekiel Pile
Book of Daniel

NEW TESTAMENT
Gospel According to St. Matthew
Gospel According to St. Mark - Mark Pile
Gospel According to St. Luke - Luke Pile
Gospel According to St. John - John Pile
Acts of the Apostles - Acts Pile
Epistle to Romans
First Epistle to Corinthians - 1 Corinthians Pile
Second Epistle to Corinthians
Epistle to Galatians - Galatians Pile
Epistle to Ephesians
Epistle to Philippians
Epistle to Colossians - Colossians Pile
First Epistle to Thessalonians
Second Epistle to Thessalonians
First Epistle to Timothy
Second Epistle to Timothy - 2 Timothy Pile
Epistle to Titus
Epistle to Philemon
Epistle to Hebrews
Epistle of St. James - James Pile
First Epistle of St. Peter - 1 Peter Pile
Second Epistle of St. Peter
First Epistle of St. John
Second Epistle of St. John
Third Epistle of St. John
Epistle of St. Jude (YT)
Revelation

Donors and Contributors


TOTAL CHAPTERS COMPLETE
28 / 1377

17 comments:

  1. I've just stumbled across your videos on YouTube. I am very blessed by your work, your humble humorous approach and by your knowledge which shows your passion for God and our Orthodox faith. I have never been a patron for anyone before. But that end here. I commit my support of your work. A truly worthy tithe to a workman who deserves our support. I will share your videos with my family with great joy. May you bee richly blessed. (Nicholas)

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  2. Hi Bojan,
    First let me say, I love you YouTube channels; they are funny, cleaver and informative.
    I have a question I am hoping you will take the time to answer. Since I don’t know the answer, when it pops into my mind, I dismiss it immediately as you would any bad thought. It I knew the answer, however, maybe this would stop bothering me.
    Here is my question in all its ugliness. As an animal lover, (and I know, you are too) I cannot understand how a good God would stand by and let innocent animals suffer. In the case of people, well, we sinned and deserve our punishment even as we hope for God’s love and forgiveness, but animals are innocent. Good people must kill and destroy other living things in order to live. Bad people can do horrible things to innocent animals. A mother seal stands by in panic as people kill her baby in front of her. Our fallen world punishes sinless animals as when elephants try to save a baby stuck in mud, or when my cat tortures and kills a terrified mouse. How could a loving God let this happen?
    If you don’t know the answer, don’t worry about me. I will just tell myself that it is not God’s will that I understand this right now. I will ask him in heaven. But if you can, please say something to help me.
    May God bless you for your work.
    Julie

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    1. Hello Julie, thank you for your question.
      I think that the answer to this question lies in the fact that God does not see things as we do. All you see is a terrified mouse - God, however, looks from eternity, and that terror of the mouse is a mere dust mote in the great sea of never ending time. You only see a terrified mouse, but God simultaneously sees it in an instant and sees the cute resurrected mouse without a shred of terror. Think about it, think about some horrible time you went through that, as horrible as it was, didn't leave some long lasting consequences. You can joke and not care about it now, but back then, it seemed like a matter of life and death. It is like that with God - and that mouse. :-) St. Paul refers to it when he speaks about present troubles as a woman who's giving birth - she's in a horrible pain but she forgets about it instantly as soon as the child is in her arms.
      Hope this was of some use to you!
      By the way, would you mind if I turned this question of yours (and my answer to you) in a video for Bible Illustrated Hands channel? :-)
      Much blessings in Christ!
      Bojan

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    2. Bojan, Thank you for your response. I would not mind at all. Please go ahead a use my question any way you like. Can you also please add an explanation as to why a sinless animal would suffer? I understand why the woman would suffer; it is due to sin in the world. But animals are innocent and have never offended God.

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    3. Yes, not a problem. Thing is, sin, by itself, is a punishment, but being sin, it isn't a righteous punishment. Sin destroys everything around it, including the sinner and the nature around it. The animals are completely sinless, but sin and death aren't holy in whom they destroy. They destroy all, and that is why Christ comes to redeem the entire creation, not just humans.

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    4. Also, do you think everyone and every animal was a vegetarian before the sin of Adam and Eve?

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    5. As for that, I do not know, I'd assume they were. :-)

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  3. Hello Bojan, thank you very much for your work. I have a question regarding the jesus prayer: are we addressing the son, or the father through the son? Please excuse my ignorance. Yours,
    Martin

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    1. Hello Martin!
      Addressed your question here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOsGL62-Esk

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  4. Hello Bojan, thank you for your great work and excuse my less then "good" English:


    I wanted to ask you if it is possible to become a priest (married or monastic) after having fallen into the sin of masturbation

    I've wanted to become a priest ever since the age of four but as most teenagers of this/my generation I came in contact with and have been consumed by my own weakness. God has given me more chances to repent than I can count but every time I give in it is as if I was having a nightmare and had no control over what I was doing sometimes I woke up and didn't even remember having done what I did. It hurts my soul and pains my heart to even think about what I could have lost.

    Is it still possible for me to be ordained to priesthood and if not... would it be possible to enter a monastery and become a monk?
    My heart and soul are longing to recieve God's unforgettable grace once more but I don't think I am even worthy to be smitten by God.


    I am one of the leading papadaki (I don't know if you call it the same in serbian orthodox-I am greek orthodox- alternative acolytes) in our church and me and the other one are kind of the "right hands" (if I dare to call myself that) of our perish priest.
    He himself is a widowed archimandrit and a true servant of god he knows of my wish to become a priest like him and he calls me a "future monk" every time We meet I feel like a devil and all I want is to be able to leave my passions



    Thank you Bojan for teaching us so much of god word In a time were this is more then just essential for spiritual survival
    You and your spiritual father may god have mercy on him are in my prayers

    Much love and appreciation from an unworthy and useless sinner from germany
    ~Gabriel

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  5. Hi Bojan. Merry Christmas from Toronto.
    I know your probably busy roasting a lamb right now and just in general, but I have an interesting question to ask you. The thing is that begining in University I started to have a lot of anxiety. Anxiety about what I do and how me doing something will effect other people's view on me - the way my peers will see me and what they will think about me. This is social anxiety that I have.

    The thing about social anxietyis that it severely affects the sufferers life. It impairs there ability to accomplish things in life. Such as starting a business, finding a girlfriend, making friends and interacting with people. I know you are not a psychologist and can not help me by giveing medical advice,so I'm not going to give a complete list of my symptoms. (if what I am experiencing is not clear to you, just ask for clarification). But from watching your videos it is clear that you have a good understanding of the Churches opinions on matters. And I am going out on a limb here that you will give me a truthful opinion on the Churches opinion on social anxiety and from that maybe some advice on what to do to get rid of it.

    I am reading some of the teachings of Saint Porphyrios (I forget his title but he just died recently and the book he wrote is called wounded by love). I know that the main thing in liveing a good Christian life is to recognize that you are nothing, can not do anything without God and that you must trust God completly and he will take care of you. I know that anxiety comes from sin.

    The social anxiety that I am experiencing, with admitantly a combination of laziness and a busy schedule, has prevented me from being a good Christian. I am scared to go to Church, I'm not so scared of going to confession but I am scared to seek a priest out to schedule a confession. And I am to scared to go looking for a spiritual father.

    What advice can you give me to help me know what to do to become a Good Christian. Please don't holdback.

    Thank you for your time and Merry Christmas.

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  7. Hi Bojan. I enjoy your videos and I have been learning more about Orthodox Christianity over the last year by reading books. In your video about tollhouses I think you may have been wrong when you said that only some Orthodox Christians believe that tollhouses is official Church doctrine. When I looked for information on this online I noticed that many Orthodox Christians think that the Church Fathers, liturgical texts, and icons clearly show support for the idea. Also, the Church Fathers and Orthodox saints never said anything that suggests that tollhouses are not real.

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    1. I've made replies to this in the video. It is NOT official Church doctrine. No mention of it in the funeral service of the Church, they are very rarely mentioned in prayers, no mention of them in any prayers of antiquity, Oriental Orthodox do not believe in them (again, a jab against it being an ancient teaching). Many things that are NOT tollhouses get called tollhouses retroactively (in fact, you won't find it being called 'tollhouses' before the vision of Basil the New), and no icons of tollhouses exist before 16th century (I've only seen like 2, one is older Russian and a very, very modern Greek one). As for the Fathers, as I said before, no mention of them by St. Mark of Ephesus when he debated purgatory, and many things that are not tollhouses get called tollhouses (that is why at the beginning of the video I mention what tollhouses aren't - many things get lumped together with them).

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  8. Thanks Bojan that was helpful.

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