Washington DC is preparing for a new Museum of the Bible, where visitors will be able to see versions of the holy book that belonged to Elvis Presley and Babe Ruth.
The $500m attraction, three blocks away from the Capitol, will open in November with the goal of demonstrating how the Bible has affected American life.
Stretching across eight storys and 430,000-square-feet, the facility will contain 40,000 artifacts including a section of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The $500m attraction, three blocks away from the Capitol, will open in November with the goal of demonstrating how the Bible has affected American life.
The Lunar Bible – the first to travel into space – will also be a key attraction at the privately-funded museum.
The curators have already begun putting on travelling exhibits, including the original manuscript of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, written by Julia Ward Howe in 1861.
Steve Bickley, from the museum’s marketing team, told Fox News: ‘The goal is to show and to educate people about the many ways that the Bible has impacted America, not just our history but in terms of civil rights and social justice to fashion.’
Mr Bickley said he was keen on attracting people of all faiths and none, including those who had never picked up a Bible before.
Mr Bickley said he was keen on attracting people of all faiths and none, including those who had never picked up a Bible before. Pictured: Babe Ruth, whose Bible will be housed at the site.
Stretching across eight storys and 430,000-square-feet, the facility will contain 40,000 artifacts including a section of the Dead Sea Scrolls (file picture)
The first exhibit, a 3,200-pound replica of the Liberty Bell, had to be lowered into the building during construction because it was so large.
Steve Green, president of arts and crafts retailer Hobby Lobby, founded the museum and contributed a large proportion of its exhibits.
The Oklahoma City-based businessman built up the Green Collection with his father, David, to create one of the world’s largest private bodies of biblical artifacts.
The family are also known for winning a 2014 Supreme Court battle that allows companies with religious objections to opt out of providing funding for contraception under ObamaCare.
