BIBLE SOCIETIES

are _ societies formed to circulate the Bible. The earliest in point of date is the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (8.P.0.K.), founded in 1698, which has pub. versions of the Scriptures in 38 different languages; others are the Can stein Bible Institute, founded by Baron von Can stein at Halle (1710), the Bible Soc. (1780), later known as the Naval and Military Bible Soc.; the Fr. Bible Soc. (1792); the Religious Tract Soc (1799), which carries on important home and foreign mi ionary work; the Brit and Foreign Bible Soc. (1804); the National Bible Soc. of Scotland; and the Hibernian Bible Soc. First Amer. Soa at Philadelphia (1808); Amer. Bible Soc. (1816) pub. Bible in 100 tongues, including Arabic, Chin. dialects, and Amer, Indian, scribe m , and printed of events in Bible story. Protestant organization that distributes the Bible or parts thereof at home and abroad in English or other languages. It dates from 1816, when it was formed in New York by a number of local bible societies, becoming incorporated in 1841. In 1852 the Society opened its famous Bible House at Astor Place in that city. Since its establishment it has printed and published about 145,000,000 Bibles. and Testaments, and distributed them throughout the United States and the rest of the world, in more than 100 languages. It has one of the most complete printing plants in the United States. It aims to reach all parts of the globe, all peoples, races and countries, especially the solitary and destitute of all cla es and conditions, and sells its publications at cost, or under cost, or gives them away. The people reached by the Society’s bibles also include the blind. The Society has been the recipient of large legacies, notably $850,000 bequeathed to it by the late John 8. Kennedy. Mrs. Ru ell Sage added $500,000 to its endowment fund, which was further increased by the Society raising another $500,000. It is governed by a board of managers, 36 in number, one-fourth of whom retire each year, but are eligible for re-election. It lacks adequate funds to conduct its great work. Receipts for 1921 from invested funds, legacies, donors, sale of books, amounted to $1,033,227, while the expenses were $1,053,610. Affiliated with the Society are 150 auxiliary bible a ociations throughout the country, which a ist in the circulation of the Scriptures and contribute to the work The earliest of the societies which combined to form the larger organization were formed in Philadelphia, Hartford, Conn., Boston, New York and Princeton, N.J., in 1808 and 1809.-