Located in the heart of Pigeon Forge, The Tennessee Bible Museum showcases hundreds of scripture-related exhibits and rare Bibles. Some of the most noteworthy items include a copy of the largest Bible ever printed, a Latin Bible dating back to 1480, a Bible from the Revolutionary War, and even one that saved a soldier’s life by stopping a bullet.
The Tennessee Bible Museum was designed to both entertain and educate people of all ages by outlining not only historical items but also sharing the incredible stories that help make them significant. Guests can enjoy a guided tour to learn even more about the items on display. In addition, the museum has its own bookstore/ gift store to browse through.
The museum features exhibits filled with first-edition Bibles in French, German, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. There is even a Torah dating back to the 1800s. You can even touch the 120-pound Bible, the aforementioned largest Bible, printed in London, or the tiny New Testament engraved on a microchip representing the smallest Bible.
In addition to copies of existing historic Bibles, there is currently a full-scale Gutenberg printing press replica model on display, designed to look and operate like the one used in the 1400s. This replica is used to print reproduction Gutenberg Bible Pages, which you can purchase with proof of your tour pass.
Museum owner and curator Gene Albert had a personal passion for learning about and extolling biblical heritage. His encyclopedic type knowledge of rare Bibles and more is put on display in this 8,000-square-foot museum. His narrated tours have a duration of one hour, and museum guests are often amazed to learn about what it took to translate the Bible into English.
Gene has been extremely interested in Biblical history, especially in relation to the Bible for many years. His first purchases were original letters by famous preachers and evangelists D.L. Moody, and Charles Spurgeon. His reputation for purchasing historic Biblical literature and documents even earned him the nickname “The Bible Guy” in many auction houses. Throughout his time collecting, he has sold more than $9 million worth of Christian artifacts, autographs, and rare Bibles.
Gene, who was in home construction, took the opportunity to serve as curator of Rawlings Scriptorium at Liberty University in 2008 after the housing market crash. He eventually launched his own museum in Pigeon Forge, the Tennessee Bible Museum this past summer.
In addition to the interesting exhibits and displays you can enjoy as part of the museum tour, you should also make a point to stop in and see the many items available for purchase in the gift shop area. Items include Bibles as you might expect replicas of the 1611 Bible, and the 1560 Geneva Bible, as well as a book showcasing the visual history of the King James Bible. There are also books featuring Hebrew words and their meaning, as well as DVDs that outline how we got the Bible we use today. Other gift items include wallets, and other themed/faith-based items.
Gene Albert explains that his overarching goal for his beloved museum is to teach guests about the sacrifices that were paid to get the current Bible we now enjoy without much thought. He said, “After several of our guests take the tour and hear about the sacrifices made to have our English Bible, they tell me that they have a greater appreciation for the Bible.”
Stories like Tyndals, which explain how he was murdered trying to create the English Bible in 1536, showcase the immense sacrifice that many gave to ensure that all people could have access to God’s word. These stories and the associated artifacts and documents are what make up the exhibits at the Tennessee Bible Museum.
Insider Tips:
-You can schedule your tour time to visit the museum online.
-You can purchase from the gift shop online as well and have items shipped to you.
-There are so many Bibles with interesting stories on display, even the Bible that was used at Elvis Presley’s Funeral.