More Facts

Edward Kaprov, 2006

Lux Moundi, 2012

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But did you know...

Many people know the term "Samaritan" from the New Testament parable about the "Good Samaritan." The Samaritans were linked to the Jews who lived in Judea, but different. They claimed to be descended from the northern tribes of Israel, from those who survived the destruction of the northern kingdom in 722 BC. Their Torah differed in important ways from the Jewish Torah. Samaritans worshiped on Mount Gerizim instead of the Temple.

But did you know there are Samaritans still alive today? A small community of less than 1000 Samaritans still endures. Most live on Mount Gerizim, and continue to study and practice their Torah to this very day.

Of the estimated 180 original Gutenberg Bibles printed in the 1450s in Mainz, Germany, only 49 (of which 21 are complete) are known to exist today. They are among the most valuable books in the world.

Scholars believe Gutenberg sold his Bibles for a price that was around three-years worth of salary for a clerk. That would be about $100,000 in today's dollars.

But that's nothing compared to the price of a Gutenberg Bible today. Experts suggest a complete Gutenberg Bible could sell today for as much as $30 million.

According to the Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation, the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery comprises about 100,000 fragments from more than 1,400 original documents. Many fragments are tiny, but the largest scrolls stretch to almost 30 feet in length.

Ancient scrolls have been found not only in the caves near Qumran but also in other places around the Dead Sea, including the mountain fortress of Masada. The Dead Sea Scrolls are widely recognized as one of the most revolutionary archeological finds of the twentieth century.

Henri Dunant, founder of the Red Cross, won the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. Inspired by the Bible, Dunant also helped write the international charter for the YMCA, and was a key figure in the creation of the Geneva Convention, which provides international law around warfare and the treatment of prisoners of war.

Dunant faced many financial difficulties and was homeless for a time. His role in founding the Red Cross in 1863 had been largely forgotten until a journalist wrote about him 32 years later. Today the Red Cross and its affiliates mobilize around 80 million volunteers to alleviate human suffering around the world.