Some of World's Oldest Biblical Artifacts on Display in Cuba

Cuba now hosts a collection of some of the rarest biblical texts and manuscripts in the world.

For the first time since the United States and Cuba restored their diplomatic relations, a cathedral in Santiago displays one of the largest private collections of ancient biblical artifacts.

The collection which contains historical biblical texts, manuscripts, and art is on display in Cuba until March 13.

The artifacts are pieces from the Museum of the Bible Collection, an organization that encourages people around the world to engage the Bible through exhibits containing authentic biblical artifacts.

The exhibit has given Cuba's 11.2 million residents unique access to interact with the Bible up close and through the eyes of their own culture.

The Cuba exhibit entitled La Biblia: The Way of God in the Way of Man is a unique exploration of ancient biblical history and the Bible's relevance in the Caribbean nation's culture. The Cubans who attend the free exhibit view special artifacts from the Museum Collection, along with biblically themed art from Cuban artists.

Attendees will view a prized painting from Cuban priest Jesús Rivera of Bartolomé de las Casas. The priest is especially important to the nation's history because of his celebrated devotion to human rights activism and the abolition of Caribbean slaves of the Spanish Empire.

The exhibit also displays anicent biblical texts on papyrus, a replica of one of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the first Bible in the Spanish language.

David Trobisch, the collection director for Museum of the Bible said, "More than 30,000 peopple visited a similar exhibit in Havana in 2014, and we are thrilled to return to this vibrant country to share access to such a diverse collection of rare biblical artifacts with other Cubans."

In 2014, thousands of Cubans came to Havana's main cathedral to see a collection of Bible manuscripts and artifacts from the Green collection. CBN News Latin America correspondent Stan Jeter had this report.

"Museum of the Bible's vision is to invite all people to engage with the Bible," Trobisch added.

The Museum of the Bible is advancing its vision to bring unity through the Bible by bringing pieces of the Cuba exhibit to the United States in 2017.

Next year many of the same artifacts from the Cuba exhibit will be on display in the 430,000-square-foot, $400 million museum on the Bible in Washington.

The Museum of the Bible plans to continue bringing the Bible and ancient biblical texts to people and nations around the world.