Wiltshire Church Looks to Protect Rare Original Version of King James Bible

St. Lawrence Church, in Wiltshire, England has announced it is to build a special glass lectern to protect a rare copy of the original printing of the King James Bible.

The Bible was found earlier this year in St. Lawrence Church, near Caine, while residents were researching the building’s history.

This copy of the King James Bible dates back to 1611 and is one of 200 known copies of its original printing.

Alan Tilbury will design the glass case for the Bible that will keep it safe while visitors view the book.

“The Bible is so beautiful,” said Mr. Tilbury to BBC. “The pages are so beautifully produced and amazingly clear in their print and legibility.”

According to Tilbury, he is honored to take part in this project.

“It’s a great privilege in many respects from my point of view, to make something that is going to be simple and important to St. Lawrence Church,” said Tilbury.

The Bible did suffer from some human interference over the years. It was first rediscovered back in the 1800s. The copy is mostly intact, but not 100 percent as they describe it as a fragment to BBC, after it suffered the ravages of time.

The Reverend Francis Fisher found the Bible in 1857 and carved a cover for it made out of oak. He also trimmed the pages so the tops are missing.

“Having now got the prototype complete, and the various viewing angles, I think general approval of the design is given,” said Tilbury, according to the BBC. “I’ll go ahead now really with the real piece, which will be made in English oak, and hopefully will be made this year.”

Unlike the current King James Bible, the 1611 version included the Apocrypha books, according to KingJamesBibleOnline.org.