The first handwritten copy of the New International Version Bible has sold on eBay for more than US$15,000.

Zondervan's handwritten Bible Across America project marked the 30th anniversary of the popular New International Version translation.

Bible publisher Zondervan went on a nine-month tour across the United States to give people a chance to write one verse of the Bible for the edition, Religion News Service reports.

One of the two original manuscripts was sold on the Web-based sales site eBay at the weekend for $15,407.53. The other was intended to be donated to the Smithsonian, but Zondervan is now looking at other museum options. The Smithsonian Institution was unable to comment on the offer.

Printed copies of the hand-written Bible will go on sale Dec.1, including scans of the handwritten verses, photos of the tour and an index of the 31,173 contributors who penned a verse for the Bible.

Proceeds from the eBay sale will go to Biblica, the company that emerged from the merger between the International Bible Society and Christian distributor Send the Light, to support its global Bible translation and distribution efforts.