Paris, Tenn.–An original, first printing of the King James Bible will be featured at Maplewood Baptist Church on May 15th and 16th as part of a museum exhibit showing the history of the Bible. Called, “The Great He Bible,” it is a true first edition of the best-selling book of all time.
Numerous other ancient, and rare, authentic biblical artifacts will be shown in the exhibit, entitled, “The Enduring Word Museum.” An actual page from the first book printed with movable type, the 1450 Gutenberg Bible, will be on display. Manuscripts in Hebrew, Greek, Ethiopic and Latin, as well as an early Christian papyrus letter (A.D. 250-450), and a complete Jewish Torah will be available for examination.
“Steps in the story,” leaves from the actual biblical publications by the reformers, Martin Luther, William Tyndale, John Rogers, Miles Coverdale and John Calvin will be exhibited as well as leaves from the first Bibles produced by the English Catholic exiles at Rheims and Douay.
“Often, laypersons and even some scholars, do not know the basic story of how we got the Bible,” said exhibit curator, John Sliffe. “But, seeing it here, laid out and explained as a simple narrative, has helped many people to gain a better understanding of the book they have been reading for years. They say that important details they have learned from the exhibit helps them respond when friends and family ask about the Scriptures.”
As part of the museum exhibit there will be a printing demonstration on a full size working replica of the Gutenberg press. Often visitors will have the opportunity to operate the press and produce their own copy of a Guttenberg page to take home as a reminder of their visit.
A recognized authority on the authentication of rare Bibles, Sliffe says, for most of his life he has had questions about “The Book.” His search for answers has led to a life of studying and collecting original artifacts and documents throughout America, Europe and Israel. He states, “The Bible, itself, tells us that God will preserve his Word. To say, I believe that, is still an expression of faith. Through the years of investigating this subject, my experiences have led to a strengthening of my belief in the validity of the Scriptural texts.”
Everyone is welcome to come and visit. The complete display will be open to the public on May 15th and 16th. The complete schedule is listed below. John Sliffe, the exhibit curator, will be there to answer questions and will give a presentation about the artifacts and documents.
Schedule:
May 15
5:30 p.m, public viewing | 6:30 p.m., Lecture: History of the Bible/Apologetics
May 16
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Groups / Appointments Encouraged (Individuals welcome if other times do not accommodate your schedule.)
1:00-4:00 p.m., public viewing
6:00 p.m., public viewing
6:30 pm., Lecture: Dead Sea Scrolls
For further information, contact:
Maplewood Baptist Church
731-642-2022
If no answer, please leave a message and callback number / if one of the times listed above will not work for you, please call and we will try our best to accommodate your schedule