THE original Mary Jones Bible is returning to Bala after 200 years.

The Bible is returning to the town on 18 March and will be on show to the public until 20 March.

The Bible left Bala 215 years ago in Mary’s possession.

In 1800, when she was only 15 years old, Mary walked barefoot from Llanfihangel y Pennant to Bala to buy a Bible from Rev Thomas Charles.

The story of her walk inspired Rev Charles to found the British and Foreign Bible Society.

Bibles were scarce and expensive, and as Mary was from a poor family she had to save for years to afford one.

When Mary met Rev Charles, her determination to have her own Bible profoundly impacted on him, and he wanted to help other people who – like Mary – longed for bibles, but faced barriers in getting them.

The Bible is kept in the Bible Society Archives at Cambridge.

The guardian of the Bible is Dr Onesimus Ngundu, a native of Zimbabwe, and it will be he who brings the Bible to Bala.

On Friday, 18 March, Dr Nghundu will visit five local primary schools with the Bible and from 3pm the Bible will be at Barclays Bank, which was where Thomas Charles lived and where Mary Jones received her Bible from him.

On Saturday, 19 March the Bible will be available to view between 10am and 4pm at Mary Jones World, Bible Society Centre in Llanycil.

A service will also be held at 7pm at Capel Tegid where there will be a reading from the original Bible, hymns, prayer, and items showing different traditions of the area.

On Sunday between 10am and noon it will be the last opportunity for anyone to see the Bible. It will be at Mary Jones World before it leaves Bala.