Knoxville Apollo 14 Bibles Explained: Everything to Know About the Historic Space Relics up for Auction
By Alexander Ross
After Mitchell returned to Earth, the Apollo Prayer League retained custody of the lunar Bibles. Stout and league directors reserved roughly 100 complete microform slides that traveled directly down to the lunar soil, while distributing fragments or orbital-only copies to committee members, astronauts, and supporting Christian ministries. Through post-Apollo ministerial networks, a batch containing 36 microform Bible cuttings was entrusted to Cornerstone Church Knoxville.
For years, the artifacts rested securely in church archives alongside organizational documents and historical records. Congregants understood that their institution held a connection to NASA Apollo mission relics, but few realized the physical pieces remained preserved in the building. As church staff reviewed historical holdings and prepared to finance ongoing ministries, they recognized the cultural and historical importance of these tiny film fragments.
The discovery quickly became a point of pride among Knoxville Tennessee churches. Local historians noted how rare it is for provincial congregations to house certified flight hardware from the peak of human lunar exploration. Rather than letting the microforms gather dust indefinitely, church leadership opted to consign the collection to an auction house specializing in authentic space artifacts.
Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.
