When Nicholaus Pumphrey, assistant professor of religious studies, came to campus he knew that he wanted to be a part of the Quayle Bible Collection.

Now Pumphrey’s role is to pick a topic, select an exhibit and set up those exhibits each year. The goal is to introduce more students to what the collection is all about.

“I have heard of what the Quayle Library is, but I don’t know what all the library has in it,” junior Kip Unruh. “I don’t know its focus, only know that it is very special to Baker.”

Pumphrey was placed in charge of the Quayle Bible Collection after long-time librarian Kay Bradt retired. The two of them worked together to pick the focus of this year’s exhibit.

Each year the library can pick a particular person or subject to highlight at the exhibit. After a suggestion from Bradt, King David was chosen as this year’s point of interest.

“The point of the display this year is to show the humanness of King David and how relatable he actually is,” Pumphrey said.

The display is a chronological highlight of the life of King David, according to the Bible and prayer books, entitled “King David: Poet, Warrior, Seducer, Murderer.”

King David was an ancestor of Jesus Christ and would always defend his home, Israel, in battle. Despite his love for God, King David often did things that went against God’s word. The biggest take-away from King David’s life is that God is forgiving and that is shown through many documents and stories about King David.

Most resources at the Quayle Bible Collection came from one of three places. Some were purchased, others were donated, but most came from Bishop William Quayle. He was a student turned Methodist bishop, and he eventually became a professor and president at Baker University.

“The Quayle has a lot of different signed copies of Bibles from presidents including Kennedy, Reagan, and Eisenhower,” sophomore Alex Fox said.

“We have even had our own King James version of the Bible on cover of National Geographic,” Pumphrey said.

Items at the Quayle Library are not just limited to affiliation with Christianity. Some materials are Jewish and Islamic. Other items pre-date Christianity. The library gained several new items recently from Sumaria that date back to 4,000 years ago.

“There are different tablets and scrolls from various time eras,” Fox said.

The exhibit is open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and also by special appointment. It will be open through July 31, 2016.