We're sharing eight interesting facts about the mountainside message that has been visible for decades across Juarez and El Paso.

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Like the guiding star on the side of the Franklin Mountains or Mount Cristo Rey, the Hill of The Bible message overlooks residents across the borderland.

If you're traveling West on I-10 or are standing anywhere near the Sunset Heights area near downtown, chances are you'll get a good look at the famous mountainside, which reads in Spanish: "CD. Juarez. La Biblia es la Verdad. Leela," translating into English reads, "City of Juarez. The Bible is the Truth, Read It."

Ruben Gomez
Ruben Gomez
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Since 1987, the message urging residents on both sides of the border to read the Bible has been an iconic view, but while the slogan has been in place for years, we never knew much about why or who put it together – so we did some research and here's what we found out.

The Location

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  • The sign is located on the mountainside of Cerro Bola Mountain in Juarez.

How Was It Made

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  • Rocks and boulders make up the sign, and at first, the stones got painted with a mixture of white powder and water. A few years later, the group used a combination of powder, cement, and salt to help extend its lifespan.

Who Created The Sign

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  • Gerardo Bermudez, an evangelical pastor, came up with the idea in 1987 after attending a meeting of ministers who wanted to do something to show the unity of evangelical Christians in Juarez.

Dimensions

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Ruben Gomez
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  • The Bible message measures 30,000 square meters, with each letter measuring up to 50 meters in length or as tall as a 15-story building.

Maintenance

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  • For the last thirty-three years, thousands of church members and volunteers from various religious backgrounds have participated in helping retouch the fixture, along with cleaning up tons of trash from the site, most recently in 2020, right before the pandemic took hold.

New Pastor

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  • The conservation of the mountainside message was passed down from pastor Gerardo Bermudez to the current pastor, Gabriel Andavazo.

Guinness World Record

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In 2018, Andavazo submitted paperwork to the Guinness World Records for consideration to break four world records, including:

  • World's most extensive invitation to read the Bible
  • The sign covers the most expansive space (30,000 square meters)
  • The slogan being painted by hand by the most number of people
  • Measures the largest sized letters in the world made out of rocks (up to 50 meters long)

New Message

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Marcos Rey
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  • In 2014 a group called La Luz del Mundo, or the Light of the World Church, painted a new message next to the original which read "50 years of his Apostolate, S.J.F." in honor of the 50th anniversary of Samuel Joaquin Flores, from the Light of the World Church, based in Guadalajara. However, about a month in, the project came to a complete halt for not accessing the proper permits.

While the mountain slogan isn't for everyone, its message among the bustle and chaos of the daily grind serves as a gentle reminder for the faithful across the borderland.

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