A tiny bible which can only be read with a magnifying glass has been discovered at a library in Leeds.
The 1911 replica of a so-called Chained Bible – found during the Covid lockdown – is only slightly larger than a £1 coin.
It contains both the New and Old Testaments printed on 876 gossamer-thin India paper pages.
The book only resurfaced when the library carried out a comprehensive survey during lockdown closures and its origins remain a mystery.
Rhian Isaac, special collections senior librarian at Leeds City Library, said it was billed as the smallest bible in the world when it was first printed – although that was unlikely.
Asked where it came from, she said: “We don’t know. It’s a bit of a mystery, really.
“A lot of items in our collection were either bought over time or they might have been donated.
“We’ve done quite a lot of work during lockdown on cataloguing our rare books and special collections. “Before that, hardly any of these books had ever been seen by anyone or ever been found, really.” (ITV)
