Mussolmani Version (BNGBBS)

Overview

The Mussolmani Version is a Bible in the Benga language, spoken by the Benga people of Corisco Island in Equatorial Guinea and coastal areas of Gabon. The Benga Bible has its origins in the work of American Presbyterian missionaries who arrived in Corisco Bay in 1854. [1] Translation began almost immediately: a grammar was produced in 1855, and the Gospel of Matthew was published that same year. [1] The Gospel of Mark, translated by James L. Mackey with the assistance of Andeke, followed in 1861. [1] Robert Hamill Nassau (1835-1921), a Presbyterian missionary and scholar who spent decades among the Benga, produced portions of the New Testament by 1881. [2] [3] The whole New Testament was published in 1881, translated and revised by Nassau with assistance from W.H. Clark and C. de Heer. [1] Romans through Revelation was further revised in 1893 by Mrs. C. de Heer and H. Jacot, a French missionary. [1] A full Bible edition appeared in 1895, with a revision in 1926. [1] The American Bible Society played a key role in the printing and distribution of the Benga Scriptures, which contributed to the spread and maintenance of the Benga language throughout the region. [1] From the 1850s until about 1920, Benga served as the predominant language of education in Presbyterian mission schools in the area. [4]

References

Language and People

Benga (ISO 639-3: bng) is spoken by approximately 5,500 people in Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and São Tomé e Príncipe. [Glottolog: beng1282]