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Rare 1611 KJV Bible Found in Tiny Church

A small church in a village in Hilmarton, England has discovered they own an original copy of the King James Bible, one of about 1,000 printed in 1611 and one of 200 known to still exist in the world. According to the CNN blog, the Bible had been sitting in plain view inside St. Laurence Church for years bearing a sign that it was indeed a first edition, but no one in the church had ever verified it. When church officials took the book to Rev. David Smith with the Museum of the Book in London, he immediately recognized it as a rare 1611 edition. Most of the other surviving copies of the edition are on protected display in museums, universities, libraries and cathedrals. St. Laurence is now raising money to purchase a case in which to display their treasure. The King James Bible celebrates its 400th anniversary this year with special events, full readings, and showings planned all over the world.