Myene Bible (MYEAPBFM)

Overview

This edition contains the Gospel of John in the Myene language (ISO 639-3: mye), spoken in Gabon. The Myene (also written Ômyèṉè) language has a long history of Bible translation dating back to the early 20th century. The first New Testament in Union Myene was published in 1907 by Urbain Teisserès of the Société des Missions Evangéliques de Paris (SMEP), and a complete Bible, titled "Bibili," was published in 1927 by the British and Foreign Bible Society. [1][2] The abbreviation "APBFM" in the identifier likely refers to the American Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, which was among the earliest missionary organizations active in Gabon. [3]

Translation History

Bible translation into Myene and its related dialects began in the 19th century through the work of both American and French missionaries in Gabon. The SMEP translator Urbain Teisserès produced the Pentateuch in 1903, revised Psalms in 1906, and the first complete New Testament in 1907. [1] A revised New Testament appeared in 1919, and the full Bible was published in 1927 as "Bibili (La Sainte Bible en Ômyèṉè)," combining the 1919 New Testament with existing Old Testament books. [1] The 1927 Bible was later digitized with the help of MissionAssist in 2018. [2] Myene encompasses several dialect groups including Mpongwe, Galwa, Djumba, Nkomi, and Rongo, and earlier missionary translations were produced in the Mpongwe and Galwa dialects specifically. [1]

References