Church's Bible Collection Open

THE First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston announced recently that it is making its collection of almost 400 historical Bibles available to scholars and the public.The collection consists of Reformation Bibles in 13 languages. Several are extremely rare first editions, including a first edition of the Coverdale Bible of 1535, the first complete Bible printed in English; a 1537 Matthew's Bible; a 1539 Great Bible; a 1560 Geneva Bible, the text used by the Puritans and Plymouth Pilgrims; a 1568 Bishop's Bible; and a first edition of the King James Version, printed in 1611. Other books include a 1534 Martin Lempereur French Bible and a 1588 Morgan Welsh Bible, which set the standard for literary Welsh. Bibles owned by the Christian Science Church's founder, Mary Baker Eddy, are also part of the collection. These Bibles and others will be displayed on a rotating basis in the church's nondenominational public Bible Exhibit at the Christian Science Center in Boston. Scholars and other interested members of the public will also be able to view any of the texts not on display by applying to the church's Church History Department. The Bible Exhibit, which also features an electronic Bible time-line, an audio-visual presentation of the journeys of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Jesus, and Paul, and a slide-and-film program, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except for Tuesday when it is closed, and from 11:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is free.