The idea has been launched on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, with a goal to raise more than AU$16,000 before October 17 for the project to go ahead. So far, over 40 per cent of this total has been pledged. If the project goes ahead, the bibles are due to be released next May.

The project is the brainchild of Lithuanian book publisher Paulius Virbickas, who describes himself as “a serial entrepreneur”. Virbickas and his team decided to create the World’s Most Beautiful Bible as a way of celebrating their 1000th published book.

“… one of the world’s most impressive Bibles ever printed in the 21st century.” – mostbeautifulbible.com

Here’s their description of this “beautiful bible”, designed to be handed down from generation to generation: “Dramatic in size and magnificent in quality, this will be one of the world’s most impressive Bibles ever printed in the 21st century.”

Could this version change the way we read the good book? https://mostbeautifulbible.com

The bible boasts to have “almost a THOUSAND pictures” in its 1600 pages, including iconic biblical illustrations. For those of us who like to scribble notes in the margins, it offers a unique feature: thick pages (in fact, “opaque, acid-neutral, non-fading archival quality paper”). Not only does this mean no showthrough, and no more finger-licking page turning, but it promises to withstand the test of time.

So, what possibly could be the dollar value of such a book? Well, it depends on how you like your bible to be tailored. The plan is to create four versions, including the “personalised limited edition”, with your family name embossed on the cover, which costs around AU$210. Three different versions of the “very limited deluxe edition” are proposed, to be “bound in leather with gold, silver and genuine Baltic amber crosses, and delivered in a handmade oak box”, which  cost from AU$700­ to $1270.

A pledge of AU$3530 buys the promise of the deluxe edition, plus a trip to Lithuania.

And for those with serious commitment (and cash), a pledge of AU$3530 buys the promise of the deluxe edition of the Bible, a signed “thank you” note from the Bible’s publishing team and an all-inclusive trip to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania (where, the Kickstarter project notes, Pope Francis will visit this September).

If you still can’t imagine yourself thumbing through this hefty hardback, there is a concession for smartphone readers. If you pledge around AU$7, you can sign up for “365 days of digital inspiration” and have a Bible verse and an illustration from the Most Beautiful Bible delivered to your inbox every day of the year. The only problem being that this method of delivery is a little hard to pass on to the next generation – converted yet?