Museum of the Bible quietly replaces questioned artifact

In this photo provided by the Museum of the Bible, a photo of the Lunar Bible on display at the museum is pictured in an undated photo. The Museum of the Bible in Washington has quietly replaced an artifact purported to be one of a handful of miniature Bibles that a NASA astronaut carried to the moon in 1971 after an expert questioned its authenticity. (Museum of the Bible Collection via AP)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Museum of the Bible in Washington has quietly replaced an artifact purported to be one of a handful of miniature Bibles that a NASA astronaut carried to the moon in 1971, after an expert questioned its authenticity.
The museum replaced the item with a donated “lunar” Bible. Museum spokeswoman Heather Cirmo says that staff could not verify whether the one originally on display had actually traveled into space with an astronaut, as billed.
This is just the latest item purchased by the Green family to come under scrutiny. The evangelical Christian billionaires run the Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby chain of craft stores and largely funded the $500 million museum.
At least five of 16 Dead Sea Scroll fragments that had been displayed at the museum were found to be apparent fakes.