Bible Site, Araya
Driving Instructions
It can be accessed from Warri through Ughelli and Oleh or from Asaba through Kwale and Oleh
What To Bring
["Camera to capture the sights and take selfies with"]
Quote About Place
["If the Bible is still around as I strongly believe, it will one day come back to Araya. All that is left for us is to praise and glorify God\u2019s name, in Araya-Mr. Osima"]
Ways Of Travel
By car and motorbike
Nice Things About Place
At the site stands a small white cathedral with about 31 pew capable of accommodating about 120 worshippers. The monument, cordoned off by two lines of chains, stands in the very spot where the Bible was said to have dropped from heaven some 97 years ago. The monument stands about seven feet above the ground carrying a pulpit upraised in the form of an altar. Three objects stand on top of the altar; a cross, an open book depicting the Fallen Holy Bible standing atop 12 tubers of yam. At the middle of the altar is written: ‘The Miracle of the Araya Holy Bible August 1914’. On the wall of the cathedral is a tablet containing the 14 dos and the don’ts for every pilgrim to the site. They include that there should be no form of trading or any form of business while at the site; no cooking or any form of fire; no wearing of ornaments in the form of consecration; no entry into the monument proper; no crusade; must be tidy; and above all only three days can be spent in the place and pilgrims must maintain absolute quietness.
Reason For Loving Place
The story of this Bible site is one of intrigue and wonder. After early missionaries came to Araya Village, they received visions and dreams to expect an unknown miraculous gift. During those times, the locals carried their yield from their farms to the nearby creek for transportation. On a rainy day while two women were on this task, they found an open Bible on their yam which although the surrounding were wet, the Bible was dry. Shocked with this discovery, they carried it along and after deliberation with the village heads, took to the White missionaries. From there, the Bible was lost, assumingly in transit to England. Years later, it was decided to commemorate the exact spot of the Bible discovery site.
