Report of the BFBS, excerpts (1865-96)

[work in progress]

Report of the British and Foreign Bible Society.

Excerpts on Bible translation and dissemination, 1865-96. See esp.

  • 1865, p. 129-30: The printing of the Amharic NT in St Chrischona proceeded. The BFBS granted Krapf‘s request to print the Four Gospels in Tigrinya (rev. by Isenberg) and to supply Arabic Bibles for distribution in Metemma.
  • 1866, p. 123: St Chrischona missionary Ostertag serves as Bible colporteur in Egypt.
  • 1867, p. 151-52: High demand for the Scriptures in Amharic in Abyssinia; around 6000 copies were distributed by 1866.
  • 1868, p. 179: The Four Gospels in Amharic were sent to Aden for distribution during the military campaign against Emperor Tewodros II.
    p. 234: Krapf accepted the British authorities’ offer to take part in the military campaign as an interpreter, on the condition that he could freely supervise the work of any Bible colporteur, whom he might employ in Abyssinia.
  • 1869, p. 170-71: At Malta, an Amharic Bible was given to Prince Alemayehu Tewodros.
    p. 175-77: Krapf left the Bibles he was unable to distribute with two young men associated with King Kassa of Tigray [the future Emperor Yohannes]. The BFBS accepted Krapf’s proposal to deploy the St. Chrischona missionaries Johannes Mayer and Johannes Bender as Bible colporteurs in the Adwa area for one year. In addition, Scriptures were given to Johann Martin Flad for distribution among the Beta Israel (‘Falasha’).
  • 1870, p. 252-55: Mayer and Bender didn’t sell as many Bible texts in the Hamasien and Adwa areas as they had hoped. Hardly anyone could read Tigrinya well. Report on Bible reading meetings led by aläqa Zännäb and two Oromo eunuchs [probably Jaagan and Waaree]. The BFBS is not willing to continue paying the colporteurs. To avoid tensions with the King of Tigray or the Orthodox Patriarch [Atnatewos II], Krapf suggested that Mayer and Bender move to more distant areas such as Agaw, Gojjam or Gubba [in today’s Benishangul-Gumuz Region].
    p. 346: Under Krapf’s supervision, a trial edition of St Luke’s Gospel in Oromo was printed in Ethiosemitic script and dialectal variants in brackets.
  • 1871, p. 296-97: Mayer reported a high demand for Biblical texts during a feast in Axum. The Oromo youth Waaree, who assisted aläqa Zännäb to translate the Bible into Oromo, passed away [prob. end of 1870 or early 1871]. Flad distributed biblical texts to 118 different towns.
    p. 297-98, 405: The BFBS printed 5000 copies of the Amharic New Testament. The text of the Old Testament will be revised by Krapf with the assistance of some natives. A bilingual edition in Ge’ez and Amharic will be printed. Krapf was also preparing the Oromo version of the Gospel of St. John and the Books of Psalms for print. Krapf intended to print the Oromo translation of the Book of Genesis in Roman script.
  • 1872, p. 275-76: Mayer and Bender distributed about 3000 Scriptures in Amharic and Tigrinya during the last three years. A former Oromo soldier in Magdala received copies of the Oromo version of the Gospel of St. Luke and wants to work for the conversion of the Oromo. Mayer intended to travel on to Shewa, while Bender planned to stay in the Adwa area.
    p. 276-77: Krapf called for bilingual (Ge’ez and Amharic) editions of the Book of Psalms and the four Gospels, as he expected that after Menelik’s accession to the throne there would be open doors for the distribution of Bibles.
    p. 364: Krapf and “two natives from Abyssinia” made good progress in revising the Amharic Old Testament to bring it more into line with the Hebrew source text.
  • 1873, p. 410-11: The first part of the Amharic Old Testament (Genesis – Ruth), the bilingual edition of the Book of Psalms (Amharic translation rev. by Flad) and the Oromo version of the Book of Genesis have been printed.
  • 1874: The third part of the Amharic Old Testament has been printed and the second part is about to appear.
  • 1875ff: vols. not yet available
  • 1890, p. 179-80: On the translation of the Four Gospels into Tigre and the Gospel of St. John into Southern Oromo [in Kenya].
  • 1891, p. 201-03: Gobaw Desta (aka Gebru Desta) was engaged by the BFBS to travel from Yemen to Harar and Shewa but fell ill. Mika’el Nagash was employed as a Bible colporteur in today’s Eritrea. The BFBS granted Scriptures to the Swedish Evangelical Mission and the London Jews Society.
  • 1892, p. 173, 190: On Onesimos Nesib‘s translation of the New Testament. A Bible depot was opened in Harar with the aim of bringing Bibles to Shewa and beyond.
    p. 196-97: Gebru Desta began his work as a Bible colporteur in Harar in June 1891. Amharic and Arabic Bibles were gifted to the King, the Queen and the Coptic Patriarch in the country.
    p. 198: Report on Bible distribution in Eritrea.
  • 1893-94: vols. not yet available
  • 1895, p.
  • 1896, p.

Cross-references

» Report of the BFBS, excerpts (1805-50)

» Report of the BFBS, excerpts (1916-23)