The Nordic Bible Museum () (Nobimu), located in Oslo, Norway, is the first Bible museum in the

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; literal translation, lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmar ...

History and organization

The museum was started by , a Bible collector holding the largest collection of Bibles in the Nordic countries. Until 2016, when it was purchased by Arnhoff, the collection had previously belonged to the

Norwegian Bible Society The Norwegian Bible Society (Norwegian: ) is a Norwegian Christian foundation which translates, produces, and distributes the Bible in Norway. It is the official Bible society of Norway. The Norwegian Bible Society is organized as a publishing c ...

. Arnhoff has stated that while he is a Jehovah's Witness, the museum is his own personal project and not associated with the organization. At the time of opening, there were approximately 2,500 Bibles in the collection; many more have since been donated by the public. The Nordic Bible Museum was inaugurated on 31 May 2018 by Member of Parliament

Kristin Ørmen Johnsen Kristin Ørmen Johnsen (born 8 March 1953) is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. She was elected to the Parliament of Norway from Buskerud Buskerud () is a former county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Ak ...

. It is located at Nedre Slottsgate 4C in Oslo's city center. It is organized as a foundation run by about 40 volunteers.

Exhibitions

The museum has the Nordic countries' largest collection of over 5,000 Bibles and contains a varied selection of Nordic and non-Nordic Bibles. Some of the rarest are an edition of the Gustav Vasa Bible from 1541, the from 1550 (the Reformation Bible), an original page from the Gutenberg Bible (the only one on display in Norway), a Latin Bible ( Vulgate) from 1487, the first Sámi-language Bible published in 1811, an edition of the first Finnish Bible translation printed in Finland in 1685 and parchment

manuscripts A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in ...

from approximately 1250. There are also themed exhibitions on the King James Version – the most printed Bible – and a collection of miniature Bibles, the world's smallest printed Bible among them. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum focused on digital exhibitions: parts of the collection were digitized, allowing visitors to view them remotely, and the museum held webinars on the history of the Bible.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nordic Bible Museum Museums established in 2018 2018 establishments in Norway Museums in Oslo Bible-themed museums, zoos, and botanical gardens History museums in Norway