10. Finnish. As early as 1!548 the New Test, was pub- lished at Stockholm. This version was made by Michael Agricola, rector, and afterwards bisbop of Abo, a fiieiid of Luther. In 1(J44 the entire Bible was published under the patronage of queen Christina, to whom the work was also dedicated. Editions of the New Test, from the text of queen Christina's version api)eared in 1732,1740, 1774, aud 177C. In ISll the British and Foreign Bible Society commenced its operations in Finland, and a Bible society was formed at Abo. In 1815 an edition of 8000 copies of the New Test, was published at Abo, and in the following year 5000 copies of the entire Bible left the press in Abo. A quarto edition of the entire Bible, aided by a grant from the Biitish and Foreign Bible Society, was completed in 1827, but the extensive fire which broke out in the same year at Abo destroyed this edition (consisting of 7500 cop- ies). In consequence, another edition of 5000 copies of the New Test, was immediately undertaken by the same society: and this edition was com|)leted at Stockholm in 1S29. In 1832 the Bible Society of Abo was again in active operation, and new editions of the entire Bible, as well as of the New Test., left the press. Apart from the Finnish edition printed at Abo, the St. Petersburg Society nnder- took some editions for Ihe piirpose of supplying the Finns in their own neighborhood. The New Test, was printed in 1814 and again in 1822, and the entire Bible was com- pleted in 1817. Many large editions of the Scriptures have subsequently been issued by the joint agency of tlie Fin- nish and the British and Foreign Bible societies. Ac- cording to the latest report for 1878, the former society
RUSSIA, VERSIONS OF
172
RUSSIAN SECTS
had issued since its fnimation 239,273, and the latter 409,743 copies of the Holy Scriptures.
11. French.
12. Georqian. By way of supplement we will add that in 1S76 the British and Foreign Bible Society decided to print an editiou of the Four Gospels, the work being done at Tiflis.
13. German.
14. Greek.
\fy. Hebrctv Xew Testament.
16. Italian.
17. JudcKo- Arabic.
15. Jud(eo-German.
19. J adceo- Persic.
20. Jiidoeo- Polish is a language spoken by the Polish Jews, consisting principally of Old German with a mixt- ure of Hebraisms, or at leat^t phrases peculiar to the Jews, with very little Polish in it. In 1820 a translation of the New Test, into this lan<;uage was undertaken by the Lon- don Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews. An edition was published iu 1821 by the British and For- eign Bible Society, the cliaracters being the so-called Rab- binic. A new edfition in the Hebrew square letters was ])Ublished by the London society in 18(J9, while in 1872 the British and Foreign Bible Society undertook a new edi- titm in the pointed Hebrew characters, edited by P. Her- shon, which was completed in 187S.
21. Kalmuckian. For tlie Kalmucks near the mouth of the Volga, Mr. Neitz, a missionary of the Moravian Breth- ren, at the beginning of this century undertook the work of translation, which was continued by Dr. Schmidt, whose version of St. Matthew was printed at St. Petersburg at the expense of the British and Foreign Bible Society. This is the only part which has been translated.
22. Karaite-Tartar.
23. Karelian is the language of a people dwelling in the government of Tver, in European Russia. As early as the 12th century they joined the i;hurch of Rome, but in a bull published March 14, 1351, by Clement IV, we are told that they were obliged to join the Greek Church, to which they still belong. In 1820 the Russian Bible Society published the Gospel according to St. Matthew for the benefit of this tribe in the modern Russian characteie.
24. Kir(]hisia7i. The Kirghise, belonging to the Tartar- id ribes, are the most nnmerous, their number being given as about 1,500,000. At the expense of the Russian Bible Society at Astrachan, the New Test, was translated in ISIS by Mr. Charles Frazer, a Scottish missionary. Since this mission was abandoned, nothing has been done for the circulation of the Word of God among this people.
25. Kurdish, See Slavonic Versions.
26. Lappotiese.
27. Latin:
28. Lettish )
29. Lithxuvnian]
30. Manch'i.
31. Mordvinian. The Morduins occupy a locality lower down the Volga, and their number is, on good authority, supposed to approach 400,000. They are divided into two tiibes— the Mokshans and Ersaus. The Russian Bible So- ciety translated the New Test, into their language, but the dissolution of that society brought the work to a termina- tion.
32. Olonetzian, which is a sub-dialect of Karelian, had a small portion of the Scriptures translated into that dialect. A specimen of this translation was sent in 1820 to Tver to be compared with the dialect spoken in that government, but the suspension of the Russian Bible Society arrested the progress of this undertaking.
33. Ostjakian is a dialect spolien by one of the most nu- merous tribes in Siberia. A translation of the Gospel of St. Matthew into this vernacular exists in a collection at London, prepared at the expense of prince Lucien Bona- parte.
34. Ossitiniaii is the language spoken by the Ossetes, who inhabit the central part of Caucasus, north of Geor- gia. In 17.52 Russian [iriests established a mission among them, and in 1821 upwards of 30,000 Ossetes had joined the Greek Church. Among the converts was also a nobleman of the name of Jalguside, who, being anxious to provide his countrymen with a version of the Scriptures in their own tongue, proposed to the committee of the Russian Bible Society to prepare a translation of the gospels in the Ossitinian dialect. The i)roposition was accepted, and in 1S24 the work was ordered to be put to press. While tlie printing was going on, the Russian Bible Society was suspended, and thus the work was discontinued. Forty years later a new translation of the gospels was prepared at Tiflis.