Our Process
From Manuscript to Replica
How we research, prepare and hand-finish each replica in our family workshop.
Choosing the manuscript
We start by choosing a manuscript worth reproducing. Then we gather what has been published about it: photographs, catalogue entries and scholarly editions.
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Before any work begins, we want to know the piece well: its size, its layout, the hand it was written in and where it was found. Most of that comes from museum catalogues and from the scholars who have studied it.
Studying its history
Next we read up on the script, the date and the text the manuscript preserves. Where scholars have already done the work, we follow them.
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What we learn here shapes everything after it, from the material we choose to the way the writing is reproduced.
Preparing the image
We prepare high-resolution images of the manuscript so they reproduce cleanly at the size of the original.
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The goal is to keep what the original actually shows. We clean the image up so it reproduces well, but we don't fill in missing letters or make the manuscript look newer than it is.
Choosing the material
Manuscripts first written on papyrus are made on papyrus-style material. Those first written on parchment are made on parchment-style material.
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These materials are chosen to look and feel like the original writing surface. They are not ancient materials, and we never present them that way.
Finishing by hand
Each piece is aligned, trimmed and finished by hand.
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This is the slowest part of the work. The edges are trimmed to the outline of the surviving fragment, so the replica has the same shape as the original.
Checking against the original
Before a piece is finished, we check it closely against the published images of the manuscript.
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We look at the script, the spacing of the lines and the outline of the piece, and we correct anything that doesn't match.
Display and packing
Finished replicas go into a display that suits the piece, such as an acrylic case, a floating frame or a shadow box. Then they are packed for shipping.
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Each display is chosen to fit the size and shape of the manuscript, and each piece is packed with care so it arrives safely.
Honest Replicas
What You Are Holding
A replica can show you what a photograph can't: the real size of the page, the texture of the surface and the way the scribe's hand moved across it.
We make them for churches, homes, classrooms, seminaries and libraries. Each one is sold as what it is, a careful reproduction, and never as an original.
Material
Papyrus
Made on papyrus-style material for manuscripts first written on papyrus, from early New Testament fragments to the Septuagint.
Material
Parchment
Made on parchment-style material for manuscripts first written on parchment. The first pieces are available now, and more are in progress.
Scripts
Greek, Hebrew, Latin and Syriac
Each script is reproduced from images of the manuscript itself.
In the Workshop
Photographs from the workshop, in no particular order. Click any photo to see it larger.
Did You Know?
What is the oldest known New Testament fragment?
Papyrus 52, a small fragment of the Gospel of John, is usually dated to the early or middle second century AD. That makes it one of the earliest surviving copies of any part of the New Testament.
Where were the Dead Sea Scrolls found?
The Dead Sea Scrolls were found from 1947 onward in caves near Qumran, close to the Dead Sea. They include some of the oldest surviving copies of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Why do old manuscripts often lack spaces between words?
Many ancient Greek manuscripts were written in scriptio continua, continuous writing with no spaces between words and very little punctuation. It is one reason reading them takes practice.
See the Finished Pieces
Every replica in the collection went through these seven steps. Browse the collection to find a manuscript for your shelf, your church or your classroom.