Galela 2002 Edition (GBILAI)

Overview

The Galela 2002 Edition is a New Testament and Genesis translation in the Galela language, published by the Indonesian Bible Society (Lembaga Alkitab Indonesia). Galela is a West Papuan language spoken on the eastern side of the northern tip of Halmahera island in the North Maluku province of Indonesia. [1] Christianity was introduced to the Galela by Dutch Protestant missionaries beginning in the late 19th century; Father van Dijken served as a missionary among the Galela from 1871 to 1899. [2] The missionaries compiled dictionaries and introduced Reformed Protestantism, which challenged existing exchange relations with the Sultanate of Ternate. [2] The volume containing Genesis and the New Testament in Galela was dedicated on September 26, 2002, with 6,000 copies printed for distribution and church leadership training. [1] The dedication came during a difficult period: in 2000, civil conflict in North Maluku had displaced most Galela communities, with over 5,000 deaths reported in the region, and cautious returns to ancestral lands only began in late 2002. [1]

References

Language and People

Galela (ISO 639-3: gbi) is spoken by approximately 79,000 people in Indonesia, Northern Maluku. [Glottolog: gale1259]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Indonesian BS, Jakarta.

References