Eitan Stiva will take with him the Nano Bible developed and created at the Technion and presented to the Israel Museum, Jerusalem

At the end of the month Stiva will take off to the International Space Station as a member of the Ax-1 team and as part of the 'Sky' mission

The second Israeli in space, Eitan Stiva will carry with him to the International Space Station a copy of the Nano Bible developed at the Technion. The unique technological item was loaned to him by the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, where the Nano Bible was displayed in the Hall of the Book alongside the stored scrolls. Stiva will take off into space at the end of the month as a member of the Ax-1 crew and as part of the 'Sky' mission. The Nano Bible is the most innovative and smallest copy of the book of books. The Technion scientists engraved the 1.2 million letters of the Bible using a focused ion beam on a silicon chip coated with a thin layer of gold (the size of a grain of sugar). The ancient text on the chip can only be read with a microscope at ten thousand times magnification. In creating the Nano Bible, Technion researchers wanted to demonstrate to the general public the wisdom of miniaturization and how to use the ultimate miniaturization that science allows today.

The idea to miniaturize the Bible was conceived in 2007 by Prof. Uri Sivan, currently the president of the Technion, and Dr. Ohad Zohar from the Russell Berry Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI), as part of an educational program developed at the institute and designed to increase the interest of young people in nanoscience and nanotechnology. The manufacturing of the chip and the development of the software that enables it to be copied were carried out by the engineers of the Technion's Zisapel Center for Nano Electronics.

"The Bible is the oldest and most important text for the Jewish people and the most important for the entire world. A cornerstone of human culture," he said The president of the Technion Prof. Uri Sion. "The nano Bible and its transport into space connect over distance and time between the past and the future, between the ancient human culture and the technological front."

Eitan Stiva He said: "The nano-Bible that I will take with me to the International Space Station symbolizes harmony between groundbreaking technology and respect for our heritage - as humanity." An ancient text that was written using innovative technology and allows us to look with hope to the future, as well as with a smile to the past - at the same time. I'm waiting for the opportunity to look at this technological wonder while floating in space."

On the occasion of the jubilee celebrations for the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, which took place in 2015, Technion engineers prepared a special copy for the museum, which was presented to the general public in the Hall of the Book - home of the buried scrolls and the famous Aram Tsova crown from the tenth century AD. The exhibition presented for the first time the nano Bible of the 21st century that was developed and created at the Technion against the background of the stored parchment scrolls. Additional copies of the Nano Bible were specially prepared at the Technion and were given to Pope Benedict XVI and the Dibner Library at the National Museum of American History in Washington, which belongs to the Smithsonian Institution.

Eitan Stiva takes off into space as a member of the Ax-1 team and as part of the 'Sky' mission, which is led by the Keren Ramon association in cooperation with the Israel Space Agency in the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology. The mission, which is designed to stimulate curiosity and creativity through a human journey into space, is dedicated to recognizing the potential inherent in the exploration of the universe, raising awareness of the importance of protecting the earth, while deepening international cooperation and promoting the space industry. The mission will enrich education and be exposed to students, educators, researchers, people of thought and culture and the entire public, through dozens of scientific experiments and blue and white technological demonstrations that will be carried out on the station, through the transmission of educational content to Israeli children from space as well as the creation and presentation of Israeli art. Because no dream is too far.