New Scepter Title: Bible Portico

In time for the upcoming Advent Season, Scepter Publishers has released Bible Portico, a new title that will help readers dive deeper into Sacred Scripture! Bible Portico provides timelines, maps, and graphics on each book of the Bible, so that, as St. Josemaria Escriva often suggested, you can see yourself as another character in the scene. 

This 133-page book is designedto be a complementary work to the many editions of the Bible available, to the manuals of introduction to Sacred Scripture, to the monographs of biblical studies, to the books for teaching religion or catechesis and, in general, to any didactic material related to the Word of God.

What Makes Bible Portico Unique? 

Written by Jesus Gil and Joseangel Dominguez,Bible Portico offers three types of visual resources to help us better understand the Sacred Texts:

• Timelines of the History of Salvation from Abraham to the present. These are accompanied by historical context from the civilizations close to Israel and from world history.

• Mapsof the most significant events of the people of Israel up to the first expansion of the Church.

• Graphics of the books that make up the Old and New Testament. These informative graphics, include information like the literary genre, the story narrated and its historical context, the time and process of composition of the book, the authorship, the main teachings, key concepts, relevant aspects of the structure and central passages. 

What Inspired the Writing of Bible Portico? 

For centuries, pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela in Spain have seen their faith depicted in the sculptures and reliefs of the Portico de la Gloria. In this way, as they journey, they prepared themselves for the encounter with God that they would experience inside the cathedral, especially when they participated in the Holy Eucharist. 

Similarly, today, the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain, offers the same experience with its two façades - of the Nativity and the Passion - used to illustrate these stories in a clear and instructional manner. 

Bible Portico is intended to serve a similar purpose. Its authors, Jesús Gil and Joseángel Domínguez, have tried to display various aspects of the Bible in order to make the reading of the Sacred Texts a richer experience. The history of Christianity from Abraham to the present day is captured in timelines, maps and graphics, with the desire to help believers prepare for an encounter with the word of God.

About the Authors: 

Jesús Gil is a priest of the Opus Dei Prelature and holds a doctorate in Spiritual Theology from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. He previously studied Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Navarra, and worked as a visual journalist at Diario de Burgos and as art director at La Voz de Galicia, where he was awarded international prizes in design and infographics. He is co-author of In the Footprints of Our Faith, also published by Saxum International Foundation.

Joseángel Domínguez holds a PhD in Biblical Theology from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross. He studied Business Administration at the University of Seville and, as executive director of Polis Institute in Jerusalem, he collaborated in the creation of the Saxum Visitor Center. He is currently co-founder and executive director of Cretio Foundation, and Board member and training director of Shelton Academy in Miami, FL.