One of the largest and finest collections of Scriptures in the United States is now on rotating display in the heart of Manhattan. This year, the Museum of Biblical Art (MOBIA) became the steward of the Rare Bible Collection, an important part of the library of American Bible Society. As such, the first in a series of exhibitions received record publicity for the collection.
American Bible Society started collecting Bibles in 1817, one year after its founding. By that year's end, it had acquired 64 Scriptures in 30 languages. Today, the collection contains Scriptures in more than 2,000 languages spanning six centuries, including 15 manuscripts and 42 incunables, which are books printed before 1501.