1819 Ottoman Turkish New Testament (OTAK19)

Overview

The 1819 Ottoman Turkish New Testament is the first printed edition of the New Testament in Ottoman Turkish, published in Paris by the British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) in a run of 5,000 copies [1][2]. The text is based on the manuscript translation completed by Ali Bey (Wojciech Bobowski), a Polish-born convert to Islam who served at the Ottoman court, between 1662 and 1666 at the request of Dutch ambassador Levin Warner [1][2]. Ali Bey's manuscript had remained unpublished in the Leiden University library for over 150 years before Baron von Dietz began revising it in the early 19th century [2][3]. The revision was completed by Professor Jean Daniel Kieffer of the University of Paris, who collated every portion with the original and with multiple other language versions [3]. This edition became the foundation for subsequent Ottoman Turkish Bible translations throughout the 19th century [1].

Translation History

Ali Bey (born Albertus Bobowski in Poland) was captured and enslaved, eventually serving at the Sultan's court where he became proficient in numerous languages [3]. He completed a translation of the entire Bible into Ottoman Turkish between 1662 and 1666, but the manuscript was sent to Leiden for printing and instead languished in the university archives for approximately 150 years [2][3]. In the early 1800s, Baron von Dietz rediscovered the manuscript and began preparing it for publication. After his efforts, Professor Jean Daniel Kieffer of Paris took over the revision work and brought it to completion for the BFBS [1][2].

References