Newspaper Article – About Bibles – “The smallest in the world” – Hastings enters a claim

ABOUT BIBLES

“THE SMALLEST IN THE WORLD.”

HASTINGS ENTERS A CLAIM.

The controversy which has been raging lately throughout the press of New Zealand concerning the possession of small Bibles seems to have unearthed about every other day, somebody who has “the smallest Bible in the world.”

And now Hastings is joining issue for the honour, for this morning Mr George White of Hastings, exhibited to a Telegraph reporter what he considered must be one of the smallest Bibles known.

Most of the books which have been discovered appear to be about the size of an ordinary postage stamp. The one possessed by Mr White, although it is only the New Testament and not a full Bible, is even smaller than that. In fact it could be covered almost entirely by a sixpenny piece.

The Bible, which has been in the possession of Mr White for over 30 years, is “housed” in a specially made silver case, which in itself is little larger than a postage stamp and inlet on the outside of the case is a special magnifying glass through which it is easily possible to read the minute print which cannot be read with the naked eye. A ring on the end of the case allows it to be carried on the end of a watch chain.

The preparation of this wonderful book was surely a work of art, especially as it was made in days when science had not progressed as far as it has today, and the story of its making, were it available, would undoubtedly provide some very interesting reading.