Family stumbles on two valuable 400-year-old Bibles hidden in Poland home. See them
A family renovating their house in Poland stumbled upon a pair of old manuscripts. Experts identified the finds as valuable 400-year-old Bibles, but questions linger.
The family near Opole found the hidden manuscripts during a roof renovation project and immediately realized they’d uncovered something historical, Science in Poland said in a Dec. 6 news release.
Officials quickly identified the fragile manuscripts as two 16th-century copies of the Brest Bible, the first Polish language Bible directly translated from Hebrew and Greek. Photos show the 400-year-old books and their intricately decorated pages.
Sławomir Marchel, director of Poland’s State Archives in Opole, said experts don’t know how the Bibles ended up in Opole or why someone hid them. The books were very lucky to have survived their risky hiding spot.
The husband who found the Bibles told Polish news outlet 24 Opole that he and his wife were very pleased to have found such treasures in their home.
Several dozen original Brest Bibles survive, Science in Poland said. The manuscripts get their name from the city in modern-day Belarus where they were printed.
Experts are almost certain the Bibles found near Opole are originals but will do further analysis to confirm, Science in Poland reported.
The State Archives in Opole shared a photo of the family who found the Brest Bibles with officials during a news conference.
The Bibles were transferred to the State Archives for conservation, a process that will probably last several years.
Opole is a city in southern Poland and a roughly 200-mile drive southwest from Warsaw.
Google Translate was used to translate the news release from Science in Poland, Facebook post from Poland’s State Archives in Opole and news article from 24 Opole.
This story was originally published December 10, 2024 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Family stumbles on two valuable 400-year-old Bibles hidden in Poland home. See them."
