November 2008

On 11 November 2008 a great celebration took place at the Academy of Sciences in Makhachkala, capital of Dagestan in northern Caucasus (Russia): the New Testaments in Avar and Kumyk were presented to the public together with portions of the Bible in another ten languages of Dagestan - Tabasaran, Lezgin, Lak, Dargin, Tsakhur, Rutul, Agul, Bezhta, Kubachi and Andi.

Many speakers addressed the full hall of the Academy. Professor Gadzhi Gamzatov, who in 1991 signed an agreement on Bible translation with IBT’s founder, Borislav Arapovic, recalled: “In the beginning there was quite a lot of opposition, but this has calmed down and now the work is regarded as normal. Everyone is happy and grateful for the New Testaments in Kumyk and Avar. I encourage you to read, read this book! Our culture has been enriched through the Bible.” “Christianity reached Dagestan as early as the first century, Islam came much later;” the new director of the Institute of Languages stated, “therefore the translation of the Bible belongs to our culture and to our future.” “To our students these New Testaments are excellent study material,” said the rector of the Muslim theological institute. “But I need to warn you that the worldview of Christianity differs from the Muslim view. However, we trust that Professor Gamzatov is doing the right thing and that these books will be useful to our country.”

At the end of the celebration when the parti-cipants were invited to take books from the exhibition table there was a sudden rush to the front, and the books quickly disappeared.

“When we read the Bible in our mother tongue we are touched at a deeper level,” said an Avar woman. “That is why it is so important to have God's Word in the Avar language. An Avar who becomes a Christian is considered to be 'Russian', not Avar.  When the New Testament is available in Avar, faith will become more real to our people and they will know that this message is for the Avars too.”

“The Kumyk New Testament is a great gift to my people” the Kumyk translator remarked. “Many people who know that we have been working on this translation have asked when it will be ready. They are interested and eager to read the book for themselves.”

Bible translation into the languages of Dagestan is continuing. Please support this work with your gifts!

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