Arrarnta Bible (AREBSA)

Overview

The New Testament in the Western Arrarnta (Arrernte) language of Central Australia, published in 1997 by Bible Society Australia. The full title of this edition is Altjirraka Angkatja, and it is a study New Testament containing Old Testament portions alongside a complete revision of the New Testament text. [1] The translation was coordinated by Pastor Paul Albrecht and builds upon the pioneering work of Carl Strehlow, who produced the first New Testament translation into Western Arrarnta after arriving at Hermannsburg Mission in 1894. [1][2]

The Hermannsburg Mission (later Finke River Mission) was established in 1877 by Lutheran missionaries Hermann Kempe and Wilhelm Schwarz, who traveled overland from Bethany in South Australia's Barossa Valley. [2][3] It became for many years the largest settlement in Central Australia. Carl Strehlow, a gifted linguist, arrived in 1894 and documented the Western Arrarnta people's language and traditional practices extensively, becoming a respected figure whom the community addressed as ingkata. [1][2] His son Ted Strehlow continued the linguistic work. [1] Kempe and Schwarz had earlier produced a Western Arrernte Lutheran hymn book of 53 hymns in 1891 and published a 54-page dictionary of 1,750 words in 1890. [3] The mission was returned to the Western Arrarnta people in 1982, but the community at Hermannsburg (Ntaria), located 125 km west of Alice Springs, remains strongly Lutheran. [1]

Language and People

Western Arrarnta (ISO 639-3: are) is spoken by approximately 440 people in Australia. [Glottolog: west2441]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by BS in Australia, Canberra.

References