Happy Thanksgiving! As this chameleon appears to be giving thanks for the existence of flies, so we now enter into the season of giving thanks for all of our blessings, and of enjoying the fruits of the harvest.
The Saint John’s Bible contains many images of animal life: the butterfly wings in the Jacob’s Ladder illumination and Ecclesiastes frontispiece, and the coral snake and harlequin shrimp in the Garden of Eden illumination, are just a few examples from the art that has been on display in the library so far.
This chameleon enlivens the last page in the Historical Books volume, at the end of 2 Maccabees. A few words for the benefit of people not familiar with the Bible: 1 and 2 Maccabees relate the history of Israel, as do the other historical books, but they are available in Greek manuscripts only and are therefore part of the “deuterocanon,” i.e. “second canon,” not traditionally part of the Jewish or Protestant collections of Old Testament literature. They do appear in Orthodox or Catholic collections, however, and thus are included in The Saint John’s Bible. While some Bibles place the 7 deuterocanonical books between the Old and New Testaments, The Saint John’s Bible arranges them according to their placement in the Catholic version of the Old Testament.
The chameleon’s presence has a fanciful origin, according to Susan Sink in The Art of The Saint John’s Bible. Like many writers, the author of 2 Maccabees had difficulty writing a conclusion to his story. Note that in his final verses he announces the story’s end twice:
[37] This, then, is how matters turned out with Nicanor. And from that time the city has been in the possession of the Hebrews. So I too will here end my story.
[38] If it is well told and to the point, that is what I myself desired; if it is poorly done and mediocre, that was the best I could do.
[39] For just as it is harmful to drink wine alone, or, again, to drink water alone, while wine mixed with water is sweet and delicious and enhances one’s enjoyment, so also the style of the story delights the ears of those who read the work. And here will be the end.
“Given such a playful and colorful ending,” says Sink, “Donald Jackson could not resist including one more image.” (vol. 3, p.71) Enjoy, and best wishes for a restful Thanksgiving vacation.