Buzz
Rarely do stolen or forgotten library books find their way back to their rightful owners, particularly when they hold significant value. However, as reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the staff at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Library received an unexpected surprise this week when a 400-year-old Bible, long missing, was returned to them.
The Geneva Bible, printed in 1615 after the King James Bible, was one of hundreds of rare items stolen from the Carnegie Library in a scheme that lasted decades. It had been purchased by the Leiden American Pilgrim Museum in the Netherlands for $1200, but the museum’s owner arranged its return to Pittsburgh upon discovering it was stolen. According to Robert Allan Jones, the FBI special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh office, this Bible resembles one brought to the New World on the Mayflower in 1620.
"This Bible is not just evidence in a case," Jones stated during a press conference. "It is a priceless artifact with profound religious importance to individuals of various faiths."
This is also a rare edition of the Geneva Bible, known as the Breeches Bible. The name originates from a modification in the third chapter of Genesis, where Adam and Eve are described as sewing fig leaves into breeches to conceal their nakedness.
The theft, believed to be an inside operation lasting twenty years, caused an estimated $8 million in losses, ranking it among the largest library thefts in history. A library archivist and a local bookseller were implicated in the crime.
To date, investigators have successfully retrieved over 40 books, along with numerous maps, plates, and pamphlets. The Carnegie Library's rare books room has remained closed since 2017 due to its status as an active crime scene, but library officials aim to work towards its reopening within the next year.
