For the first thousand years of the Bible, before the advent of the printing press and when most of the population was illiterate, the Scriptures survived only through manuscripts that were hand-copied slowly by monks. Now 16 of these manuscripts, The Idda Collection (named after Saint Idda, the only Swiss female saint), are on display at Les Enluminures (French for illuminated, as in illuminated manuscripts), a gallery in New York City, through May 2, 2015. Experts say the Liesborn Gospels, the centerpiece of the collection, could be one of the most valuable books in the world. Read next feature >