Tiny bible resurfaces at Leeds library during lockdown

The origins of the miniature bible are a mystery, library staff said

A tiny bible was among thousands of items rediscovered at a Leeds library during lockdown.

The 1911 replica of a so-called Chained Bible contains both Old and New testaments in text so small it can only be read with a magnifying glass.

The origins of the bible, which measures 1.9in (50mm) by 1.3in (35mm), are a mystery, library staff said.

More than 3,000 new items were catalogued during lockdown, including some dating back to the 15th Century.

Visitors to the library can ask to view the bible

Rhian Isaac, special collections senior librarian at Leeds Central Library, said the book was billed as the smallest bible in the world when it was printed, although this was almost certainly not true.

Speculating on where it may have come from, she added: "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."

She said staff had done a lot of work during lockdown closures on cataloguing the library's rare books and special collections with some 3,000 items being newly catalogued.

Other finds included a copy of Nouveau Cours de Mathematique, by Bernard Forest de Bélidor (1725) and Oliver Twiss - a scurrilous pirated version of Oliver Twist, printed by the creators of the Penny Dreadfuls.

Ms Isaac said: "Now people can come in and find them and look at them."

"Before that, hardly any of these books had ever been seen by anyone or ever been found, really."

The tiny text can only be read properly with the aid of a magnifying glass

She urged people interested in viewing the bible and other finds to visit the library.

"We would rather these books were used and read. That's what they were made for and that's what we encourage people to come in and do, instead of locking them away.

"They belong to everyone in Leeds. We're just the guardians of them, really."