Kaluli New Testament (BCOPNT)

Overview

The Kaluli New Testament, titled Kaluli Baibel, was first published in 1998 by Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. for speakers of the Kaluli language in Papua New Guinea's Southern Highlands Province. [1] The Kaluli people, numbering approximately 3,100, inhabit the rainforests of the Great Papuan Plateau near Mount Bosavi, and their language has been extensively studied by ethnomusicologist and anthropologist Steven Feld, whose fieldwork beginning in 1976 helped document Kaluli expressive culture. [2] A Kaluli church was established around 1985 and appointed its own translators — including Segea Sogobaiye and Wano Hemide — to begin work with a notebook and pencil. [1][3] SIL translation advisers Andy and Sylvia Grosh joined the effort in 1991, and local church-appointed translators remained central participants throughout the translation process. [1][3] A revised Kaluli New Testament was dedicated on 17 February 2024, with nearly 2,000 community members traveling from villages across the region — some hiking for days — to attend the celebration. [1]

Language and People

Kaluli (ISO 639-3: bco) is spoken by approximately 3,100 people in Papua New Guinea, Map 8. [Glottolog: kalu1248]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by Wycliffe Bible Translators USA. Translation type: New.

References