Romania opens its first Bible Museum: showcasing the world’s smallest Bible

This fall, a significant milestone will be reached in Romania as the first Bible Museum in the country opens its doors in the heart of Timisoara. Thanks to the support of the Municipality, this museum will showcase a captivating collection of hundreds of Bible copies, many of which are unique in size and carry fascinating stories related to them.

Mayor Dominic Fritz expressed his delight, stating, “I am glad that we will finally have a permanent space downtown Timisoara, which will house the Bible Museum. It is a unique project for Romania and I am confident that it will attract visitors not only from the country but also from abroad. It is a project which aligns with the multi-confessional tradition of Timisoara and which will open a new cultural perspective in our city,” notes the Agerpres news agency.

Timisoara has already experienced the success of temporary Bible Museum exhibitions, drawing thousands of visitors. Now, with this permanent establishment, Timisoara will take its place on the world map alongside other illustrious cities hosting similar museums, such as Washington D.C., London, Amsterdam, Dallas, Jerusalem, and Houston.

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The founder of the Bible Museum, Pastor Ionel Tutac, remarked on the significance of the project, saying, ” Through this project, Timisoara will be included in the gallery of famous cities that host such museums, such as Washington D.C., London, Amsterdam, Dallas, Jerusalem, Houston, and the number of Romanian and foreign tourists who will visit the European Cultural Capital will increase. The impressive collection of The Bibles owned, the cultural and artistic events that will take place around this project, the partnerships that will be created with similar institutions from other countries, will contribute in a positive way to increasing the prestige of our municipality in the country and abroad. The project will address everyone, regardless of religious denomination, ethnicity, social and educational preparation or age”, reports Agerpres news agency.

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With its impressive Bible collection, culturally enriching events, and international collaborations with similar institutions, the Bible Museum promises to enhance the prestige of Timisoara both nationally and internationally. As visitors flock to this European Cultural Capital, the city will undoubtedly experience a surge in tourism, enriching the cultural fabric of the region.

Pastor Ionel Tutac’s remarkable collection of over 1,000 Bibles, featuring the world’s smallest Bible and other rare artifacts

Ionel Tutac has gathered over 1,000 Bibles in a span of more than 20 years, among them being the world’s smallest Bible. This tiny Bible measures 4 by 4 millimeters and is just 0.4 millimeters thick. It was created by a group of IT specialists from the University of Haifa in Israel. The Bible is actually in the form of an Integrated Circuit (IC), made of silicon, plated with gold, and transformed into a pendant. It is the only one of its kind in Romania and was purchased by Ionel Tutac from Israel. To read it, a microscope that magnifies it 1,000 times is required.

Pastor Ionel Tutac began collecting Bibles over 20 years ago, with the first books being copies of the first Bible printed in Romania with Latin characters, dating back to 1874. The collection also includes several scriptures from the 15th and 16th centuries, in Latin, English, or German, as well as a 300-year-old Gospel.

Among the pastor’s unique collection are some unconventional books, such as the Bible for truck drivers, a soldier’s Bible, the famous Bible pendant that once belonged to evangelist Billy Graham, and many others that can only be read with a magnifying glass.