The Bible
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
The holy book of Christians. India has a long history of Bible translation, beginning with Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg's Tamil New Testament in 1714.
| Tradition | Christian |
|---|---|
| Type | Scripture |
| Language | Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek originals; translated into all major Indian languages |
| Period | Old Testament c. 1st millennium BCE; New Testament c. 1st century CE (scholarly estimate) |
What it contains
- The Old Testament, shared in large part with the Hebrew Bible.
- The four Gospels on the life and teaching of Jesus Christ.
- Acts of the Apostles, the Letters and the Book of Revelation.
- Syrian Christians of Kerala long used the Bible in Syriac in their liturgy.
Significance
Ziegenbalg's Tamil New Testament, printed at Tranquebar (Tharangambadi), was among the first in an Indian language. William Carey and the Serampore Mission translated the Bible into Bengali and many other Indian languages in the early 19th century, giving a boost to printing in Indian scripts.