A Priceless Bible Returns to Its Longtime Home in Switzerland

01A priceless Bible with a mysterious history is being shown in Switzerland near its long-time home at a Christian religious center.

02The Moutier-Grandval Bible is considered one of the finest ancient books because of its good condition and the artistry of its creation.

03The handwritten book, or manuscript, weighs 22 kilograms.

04Religious workers called monks produced the book in Tours, France, around 1,200 years ago.

05No one knows how, but it went to Moutier-Grandval Abbey in northwestern Switzerland in the mountainous Jura area.

06The British Library keeps the ancient book now, but it has loaned the Bible for three months to the Jura Museum of Art and History in Delemont.

07It is only the second time the manuscript has been loaned from London, after being shown at the Jura Museum in 1981 when 32,000 people came to see it.

08The museum's director, Nathalie Fleury said, The book is called, The Moutier-Grandval, and the Moutier-Grandval, and the Moutier-Grandval.

09The Moutier-Grandval, the Moutier-Grandval, the Moutier-Grandval, and the Moutier-Grandval, the Moutier-Grandval, and the Moutier-Grandval.

10The Moutier-Grandval, the Moutier-Grandval, the Moutier-Grandval, and the Moutier-Grandval, the Moutier-Grandval, and the Moutier-Grandval.

11The Moutier-Grandval is the best known.

12The Bible is going on show in the museum's basement, behind a thick steel door.

13Sealed inside a glass cabinet, it is the only object in the room.

14The manuscript is open on the first page, showing an illustration of the story of Adam and Eve from the Book of Genesis.

15The colors are still very bright.

16The book needs special conditions.

17As a result, only five people at a time are permitted in the room, for five minutes only.

18Clare Bray of the British Library described the Moutier-Grandval Bible as one of the greatest treasures of the British Library.

19Bray added that the ancient handwritten Bible is still bringing people together and bringing joy, awe, and wonder to everyone who sees it.

20The book's 900 pages measure 50 by 38 centimeters.

21The words are written in two columns of 50 to 52 lines each.

22The skins of more than 200 sheep were used to make the special writing surface known as parchment.

23The book contains four full-page images.

24Around 20 monks wrote the book in the Latin language in a writing known as Carolingian Minuscule Script.

25Research continues on the parchment and the colors used in the Bible's images.

26Book historian and co-curator Angeline Rice said, It's very emotional to see it in real life.

27It's completely different from seeing a reproduction of it in a book or online.

28She told the French news agency AFP, People can see how big it is, how beautiful the colors and the gold still are.

29There's a lot of mystery around the Bible, said Rice.

30How it came to Moutier-Grandval remains unclear.

31Some people say the Bible was left behind and forgotten about until it was found in Delemont in the late 1810s or early 1820s.

32It was sold to an art dealer in 1822.

33The British Museum bought the Bible in 1836 for what is equal to $93,600 in today's money.

34The Bible even today remains surrounded in mystery.

35How it was transported from London to Delemont and all matters of security remain a guarded secret.

36The museum in Jura is showing the Bible until June 8th.

37Experts there hope that the Bible will be shown there again.

38I'm John Russell.