Collection Spotlight- Bibles Part IV
Bibles From Around the World, Part IV
Singhalese
Also known as Sinhala, it is the native tongue of Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Like previously countries with Bibles featured on this site- like Hawaii and India- Sri Lanka was a very popular destination for missionaries in the 19th century. Unlike their Bibles, this is in the original "Sinhala alphabet, a descendent of the Brahmi script." (Source: Omniglot.com)
The 1851 New Testament shown below was translated into Singhalese and printed by the Coluombo Auxiliary Bible Society, Wesleyan Mission, 1851. The pages itself are in very good condition, but the most common of ailments of this age, red rot, has relegated this book into a very delicate condition. Patrons hoping to use this volume should expect to use gloves and a book cradle.
Turkish
This is the second Bible previously owned by Fred Field Goodsell, missionary to Turkey and first Executive Vice President of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions from 1930-1948. The flyleaf reads: "Property of Fred Field Goodsell, 1948. I carried this Testament with me to Europe and the Near East December 1949 to July 1950 reading it daily. I read the Book of Acts 5 times in the Near East where I was on Pauline ground. FFG." Also the flyleaf lists the name M.E. Sheldon.
This Bible, published in 1933, is a classic representation of 20th century printing. The boards are typical pasteboard and the textblock extremely damaged and fragile from the acidity levels therein, however it has not become "confetti" yet. The text is clearly not in the native alphabet- known as the Ottoman Turkish script. This is in keeping with Atatürk's effort to modernize the country 1928. At that time, he "issued a decree replacing the Arabic script with a version of the Latin alphabet, which has been used ever since." (Source: Omniglot)
Welsh
This Celtish-origin language of the British Isles is often considered the diametric opposite of already featured Hawaiian. Where the tropical islanders love many and double vowels, the Welsh depend on many and often double consanants.
This New Testament was translated from Greek, rather than Latin or Hebrew, into Welsh by the American Bible Society in New York in 1890. The Bible Society chose to do side-by-side Welsh and English for each page.
Zulu
"Zulu is one of the official languages of South Africa and is a member of the Bantu/Nguni family of languages. . . . . During the early 19th century Christian missionaries, including J W Colenso, S B Stone, H Callaway and Lewis Grant devised a way to write Zulu." (Source: Omniglot.com) This Bible was originally belonged to the Inanda Evangelistic Band and also has the name Agnes A. Wood written in the flyleaf. The British and Foreign Bible Society in London published this volume in 1956.
