Bible Index

Sharon got a new Bible this past week and wanted me to put a Bible index on it. I had learned how to do this in college, and have put an index or "ladder," as we called it, on all of our Bibles. But over the years I had misplaced the instructions. No problem, I'll just go online to find out how to do it. And to my surprise I couldn't find anything.

The end of the story, or so I thought. As we were moving some old files I found my Bible index instructions. And so I'm posting How to Index the Edge of A Bible here on my blog for all the world to see. As far as I know, this is the only place on the web where you can go to learn how to do this.

• Materials needed: soft-leaded pencil, extra-fine point pen with black ink (I use .2 mm pen by Micron), and art gum or other soft eraser.
• I suggest that you practice your first index on an old Bible.
• Spread out the edge of the Bible at an angle to the right and with a soft-leaded pencil make seven parallel lines across the edge approximately 1/3 way down from the top of the Bible and 3/16 of an inch apart.
• Take seven of the sections* at a time and place between each of them an index card so that when spread out there is a distinguishable space between each section. Beginning on the bottom pencil line with Genesis, make ink lines across each section and up the edge of the first page of the next section. I find that it works best when making your horizontal line to move the index card out past the edge of the Bible so that you know where to stop the line at. When the top pencil line is reached, make the vertical line down the first page of the next section to the line below. Click here to see a picture of what a completed ladder looks like.
• Taking 1/3 of the index at a time, spread out an angle to the right and hold down tightly with the left hand while lettering and strengthening the lines. All pen strokes must be made straight up and down or to the right to prevent catching on the edge of the page.
• Spread out the whole Bible at an angle to the right and erase the pencil lines with an art gum or soft eraser, making all motions up and down and to the right.

* A section is a book or group of books like those put together in the illustration shown. Note the books that are grouped together in the sections of the index. In some cases all of the books are marked; others are not for lack of space. Groupings are as follows:

• Judges, Ruth
• Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
• Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
• Daniel, Hosea
• Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah
• Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah
• Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
• Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians
• Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon
• Hebrews, James
• Peter, John, Jude

Good luck with your ladder. They are really slick. And most importantly, make sure to spend time with God, allowing His Word to shape and conform you into His image.