Florida Bible Museum

The Bible is so much a part of history that the various translations and editions that have been produced over the centuries are intertwined with the times and places where they were written. Every Bible is not only a historical record of the Word of God, but also a piece of history itself, so it should not be surprising to find Bible museums like the one in Tarpon Springs, Florida where a large collection of historical Bibles is preserved for all to see.

Leslie Hale is a preacher who settled here from Ireland. His bible collection spans several centuries. In six years, the museum at the church that has grown to almost 400 pieces of antiquity for all to see.

"I had a great burden to cause the people to have a new appreciation of God's word," Hale explained. "They said it was too holy to have human error."

Each piece has a story. Among the ancient scrolls and commentaries are 14 Geneva Bibles brought to America by the pilgrims. These books of worship were the cornerstone of life in the early English settlements.

"Most have never heard of it, and we have 14. This one here is dated 1589. Just think of that, and there's actually notes that are written inside this bible," Hale said.

Another priceless rare treasure is the Baskerville Bible from the 1700s, which is the blueprint for the modern King James version.

Delivering the Bible via the Newspaper

The Bible is God's message to the world, but even in America there are many who have never read it. Groups like the Gideons give out Bibles at schools, place them in hotel rooms, and bring them to prisoners. For the Superbowl, a group of Christians distributed Bibles via the newspaper to over 56,000 residents of Tampa.

The effort was spearheaded by a pair of local residents who raised about $127,000 from 15 area churches and 19 local businesses, including McNichols Co., AnazaoHealth Corp., Ferman Automotive Group, Idlewild Baptist Church, Florida Dental Centers and Bayshore Baptist Church.

The front cover of the 200-plus-page, paperback-sized edition features retired Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy and the Tampa skyline. The organization, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., has also released Path to Victory, a football-themed New Testament featuring testimonies from Dungy and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner.