With a goal of establishing a national Bible museum of great depth and size, the evangelical Christian family behind the Hobby Lobby chain of craft stores has been spending heavily to amass a collection that has set dealers buzzing in the staid world of rare books. Specialists estimate the family has bought illuminated, or decorated, manuscripts, Torahs, papyri and other works worth $20 million to $40 million from auction houses, dealers, private collectors and institutions, some of which may be selling because of financial pressure. The man leading the effort is Steve Green, president of Hobby Lobby, a private company based here that is a favorite of scrapbook makers, do-it-yourselfers and home decorators. The company, founded by his father, David, in 1972, now numbers 439 stores and has generated a family fortune that Forbes magazine estimates at $2.5 billion. With money to spare, the younger Green, 46, has found a passion to complement his vocation, and is working with specialists in deal-making and history who, using company money on behalf of the family, began buying with a flourish about six months ago. The collection now includes more than 30,000 items, according to Green and his team. Some of those were shown to The New York Times at Hobby Lobby offices in Oklahoma City, including a New Testament papyrus from the second century A.D., a lavishly illustrated and illuminated Martin Luther New Testament and a Spanish Inquisition Torah. With sales last year of just over $2 billion the company has no long-term debt, Green said over a lunch of sandwiches that began with a prayer at the company's nondescript, sprawling corporate headquarters. For the Green family, the time seems ideal for buying religious works. The Green collection aims to be one of a kind. Other Bible collections in the United States, including one at the American Bible Society in Manhattan, generally intend to inspire readership, said Dr. Scott Carroll, who began advising Green about six months ago. 'Our goal is to inspire people with the story of the Bible and its history.' Some who are knowledgeable about the rare book market suggest that the group's buying has pushed up prices. The buying has also spawned some skepticism about the overall quality of purchases made in such rapid-fire style. The plans for the museum are quite ambitious. Carroll said the three are looking for 300,000 square feet of space and hope to attract more than a million visitors a year. Dallas is the first choice to house the collection, Green said, because of the large number of people of faith in the area. He also said that the many seminaries and universities in Dallas would welcome such a museum and it would benefit from their resources. 