XXXVIII.

THE CENTENARY OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY

THOSE who wish to read the full record of the Society’s work can do so in the two delightful volumes of Mr. William Canton. In his _History of the British and Foreign Bible Society_ (London, Murray, 1904) he tells, in fine style, the story of the first half-century of the Society’s career. When the Society began its work, that is to say at the beginning of the nineteenth century, “all the Bibles in the world in all languages and in every land, printed or in MSS., did not greatly exceed 4,000,000 copies, and of the forty or fifty languages into which the Scriptures have been translated, several, like the Anglo-Saxon of Bede and the Mæso-Gothic of Ulfilas, were extinct tongues.” But now how stands the matter? “Under its auspices and mainly at its charges, scholars have been employed in translating the Scriptures into over 300 languages, including all the great vernaculars of the world. Neither expense nor labour has been spared in making these versions as perfect as possible; and when completed they have been printed, and thus placed within the reach of the poorest of those for whom they were intended. In 100 years over 180,000,000 copies of the scriptures, complete or in part, have been issued by the Society; and at the present time more than 6,000,000 copies per annum are being put into circulation.”

The well-known scholar, Dr. Israel Abrahams, after quoting this passage in the _Jewish Chronicle_, March 4th, 1904, rightly remarks: “... the Society is doing a noble work, with much of which Jews must completely sympathise. With some of its work we do not sympathise; but this reservation does not prevent us from offering cordial congratulations to the Society on its centenary,...” This is our point of view with regard to non-Jewish activities on behalf of Zionism, as well as on behalf of the Bible.