A special exhibition in Brighton is displaying some unique items of interest to both Christians and Muslims.
Individuals are free to attend the exhibition at Brighton’s Jubilee Library until July. This event is the forth of its kind and demonstrates the richness of culture inked into Brighton’s fabric.
The Rare Books and Special Collections contains 45,000 rare books and staff made sure to pick ‘quirky’ and ‘interesting’ titles to capture local imagination.
Of those on display in the current exhibiton is a 13th century Bible. This text dates back to 1270 (before English language editions of the Bible existed). A schoolteacher donated the text to the library at the turn of the 20th century.
Leonard Lionel Bloomfield, a local book collector, who on his death in 1917 donated thousands of books to the library. One book ‘The Book of Hours‘ is a 15th century book to help Christians regiment their prayer time hourly.
A more recent but equally interesting book on the display is a miniature copy of the Qur’an. Though by any defition, it is not a book (in the strictest sense), the miniature text contains various verses that are read with a magnifying glass, dates back to the 20th century. Staff do not possess the original chain but the item was intended to be worn as a necklace.
For further information phone 01273 294005 or email rarebooks@brighton-hove.gov.uk
