Do you know where the Bible came from? Well, of course everyone’s conditioned to give the “right” answer—“God”.
But do you really understand the rich history and importance of the hands this sacred text has passed through, the civilizations and people groups it has influenced, and how it has shaped history while surviving intact through the ages? Does it never awe you that the Bible is accessible, immediately available, and its content is still relevant to us today?
I remember the first time I stood with Steve Green, founder of The Green Collection—one of the world’s largest private collections of rare biblical texts and artifacts—and held in my hand a fragment from the Dead Sea Scrolls. I was so overcome, I could hardly speak, and tears sprang into my eyes. I knew I was holding a gift and laying my eyes on something so much bigger than one could imagine. God in His divine providence had preserved these Dead Sea Scrolls, to give further substantiation to the reality of His Word, which is as alive today as the day it was etched into those parchments.
I realized in that moment that God, in His sovereignty, knew that I would be standing there, humbled by the legacy of the eternal family that I have been adopted into; the family of God.
Together with Steve and the Green family, I made a commitment to make sure that I would do everything I could to instill this eternal family heritage deeply into the next generation. We committed to continue to pass on what many have lost their lives for, so that there continues to be hope for the future of the world, as carried in the pages of God’s Word.
The Green Collection began in 2009 when strong Christian Steve Green, also President of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., bought his first biblical artifact. Since then, the collection has grown now containing more than 40,000 antiquities!
Some highlights from this collection are:
- Cuneiform tablets
- Dead Sea Scrolls
- Jewish scrolls and Torahs
- Papyri
- Near-complete translation of the Psalms to Middle English
- Wycliffe’s New Testament
- Gutenberg Bible texts
- Martin Luther tracts and writings
- Jewish & Catholic contributions to the KJ translation of the Bible
In 2017, the collection will find a permanent home in as Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C.
Meanwhile, a traveling exhibit, “Passages,” is making these precious artifacts available for viewing in cities across America. This 40,000 foot display is a must see for anyone who has an interest in the Bible, and particularly for those who love the Bible and read it daily.
In January, the government of Cuba invited the Passages Exhibit to Havanna! This was a historic milestone as major government officials were in attendance at the opening of the exhibit. Day after day, crowds flowed through the space, and it was an incredible testimony to the eternal presence and power of God.
The traveling exhibit also visited the Vatican—the second time this exhibit has been on display there. The first time it was invited, they recorded the largest attendance for any outside exhibit in the history of the Vatican!
“Book of Books”, containing more than 200 items from the Green Collection—including some never before exhibited, rare pieces—was displayed in Jerusalem. This demonstration chronicles the journey of the Bible while demarcating the relationship between the Jewish and Christian faiths.
What a joy it has been for me to be involved hands-on with seeing this vision move forward and also to serve behind the scenes for the on the Board of Trustees. It is fulfilling a life-long dream of mine to see God’s Word brought back to the center-stage of culture.
OneHope is working hard to create the storyline that will occupy one floor of the museum when it opens in Washington D.C.
The fact that God’s Word is being invited and welcomed all around the world is exciting!
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This I MUST see….David and I have had so many BIBLES through
the years….I love the “marked up..falling apart” ones the best. I’m
putting this on my list of things I MUST DO.