BOOK EXPO OFFERS BIBLE HISTORY EXPERIENCE

The 2009 Christian Book Expo, a new Christian consumer book fair, will host a museum-quality exhibit called The Bible History Experience. Historical manuscripts, biblical artifacts and other Christian literary antiquities will be on display March 20-22 at the Dallas Convention Center. These biblical treasures are provided by Dr. Rusty Maisel, Crossway Books & Bibles, Tyndale House Publishers, and Zondervan. Attendees will be able to participate in a historical tour of ancient biblical manuscripts, view an exact replica of the Gutenberg Press, view a first printing of the King James Bible plus rare, early editions of Bibles and devotionals, and conclude with an opportunity to make Bible history by personally handwriting a verse in a Bible that will be presented to the Smithsonian Institute.

“The core of Christian publishing is the proclamation of God’s Word as revealed in the Bible,” explains Mark Kuyper, President of the Evangelical Publishers Association. “So we are especially delighted to feature this historic and educational exhibit at the Christian Book Expo.” Kuyper suggests The Bible History Experience will be of special interest to seminarians, students, families, home school and Christian school groups, book collectors, historians, and anyone interested in the rich history of the printed Bible. Viewing of the exhibit is included in the price of admission to Christian Book Expo.

The Bible History Experience includes a unique collection of rare items including an original, first printing of the King James Bible, manuscripts in Hebrew, Greek, Ethiopic and Latin, a complete Jewish Torah, early Christian papyrus (dating from A.D. 250-450) and a working replica of the original Gutenberg press built specifically for the Christian Book Expo by Dr. Rusty Maisel. An author and expert on biblical manuscripts, Maisel will be demonstrating historical printing techniques throughout the Christian Book Expo. “There is a reason the Bible is the world’s most widely published book,” says Dr. Maisel. “My hope is that people attending the Christian Book Expo will increase their appreciation for the Word of God through better understanding its rich history.”

In addition to Dr. Maisel’s collection, The Bible History Experience will include contributions from Crossway Books and Bibles, Zondervan, and Tyndale House Publishers, which are all exhibitors at the Christian Book Expo.

Crossway will provide sample pages from great English Bibles from the last 500 years, along with an “inside look” at the translation work for the English Standard Version (ESV) Bible and the ESV Study Bible.
Tyndale will provide Dr. Kenneth Taylor’s handwritten pages from Living Letters, a variety of Bible milestones in publishing history, and several first edition Bibles--including a first edition Living Letters and a first edition Living Bible.
Zondervan is also providing some of its earliest editions of the NIV, as well as almost a dozen rare Bibles and commentaries on loan from the International Bible Society, a 1669 German New Testament and some of the earliest editions of devotions and illustrated Bibles from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
Zondervan also plans to conclude its cross-country “Bible Across America” tour at Christian Book Expo. The tour is gathering handwritten verses from people of all ages and walks of life across the nation to create the first handwritten NIV Bible. The “Bible Across America” project is housed in an RV which will be positioned on the show floor of the Christian Book Expo.

The 2009 Christian Book Expo, a company of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA), is the first Christian book fair of its type, bringing together publishers, authors and consumers for a three-day book event. The inaugural Christian Book Expo will be held in Dallas, Texas, on March 19-22, 2009, at the Dallas Convention Center. Activities during the book fair include workshops, seminars, panel discussions, KidZone, mini-events and evening programming—all led by authors. More than 200 authors and 65 exhibitors will be hosting the event. Children (17 and under) are free. Day passes for adults are $29 (not including discounts offered by local churches and media).

For more information on the 2009 Christian Book Expo, including press registration, contact Pamela McClure at 615-595-8321. More information online: www.ChristianBookExpo.com.

CONTACT: Pamela McClure, 615-595-8321
Pamela@mmpublicrelations.com