Abu Rumi

Abu Rumi

Abu Rumi (about 1750 - 1819) is the name recorded as being the translator for the first entire Bible in Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia. Previously, only partial Amharic translations existed, and the Ethiopian Bible existed only in Ge'ez, the ancient liturgical language of Ethiopia. His story is recorded by William Jowett (1824). He was educated in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, but it is not clear if he was a monk, priest, or had any official status within the church.

According to Jowett, Abu Rumi served as a translator for the Scots explorer James Bruce at the age of 22. He left Ethiopia in his 28th year, visited Cairo, Jerusalem, Syria and India, where he resided in the house of Sir William Jones. "We are not told what he is supposed to have taught that great orientalist," writes Edward Ullendorff, "but presumably it was a smattering of Ge'ez and Amharic poetry" (Ullendorff, 1968: 66).

While travelling through Cairo, at which time his age is estimated at "about fifty or fifty-five years of age" (Jowett, 1824:201), he became very ill and was taken in by M. Asselin de Cherville, the French Consul in Cairo. He provided Abu Rumi with food, lodging, and medical care. But he also provided him with writing materials. Over 10 years, Abu Rumi produced a complete translation of the Bible in Amharic. He then made one more journey to Jerusalem; Abu Rumi died of the plague in Cairo.

The manuscript containing his translation was eventually purchased by Rev. Jowett on behalf of the British and Foreign Bible Society. He took it back to Britain where it was typeset and printed. These printed copies were sent back to Ethiopia. There were a number of editions made of Abu Rumi's original translation, different editors making some changes, but the original work is his. A copy of Abu Rumi's translation of the Bible in Amharic was eventually found in a monastery in the early 1860s and launched a church renewal movement that eventually led to the founding of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (Aren 1978:14, 15, 104).

Since then, there have been other translations of the whole Bible in Amharic, mostly by the Ethiopian Bible Society, but his is the first. According to Ullendorff, "Abu Rumi's verson, with some changes and amendments, held sway until the Emperor Haile Sellassie I ordered a new translation of the entire Bible which appeared in 1960/1" (Ullendorff 1968: 66).

Sources

* Arén, Gustav. 1978. Evangelical Pioneers in Ethiopia. Stockholm: Stockholm: EFS Forlaget.
* Jowett, William. 1824. Christian Researches in the Mediterranean from MDCCCXV to MDCCCXX in Furtherance of the Objects of the Church Missionary Society. London.
* Ullendorff, Edward. 1968. "Ethiopia and the Bible". Oxford: The British Academy.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Abu-Mansur Daqiqi — Abu Mansur Muhammad Ibn Ahmad Daqiqi Balkhi (Tusi) (935/942 976/980[1]), (Persian: ابو منصور محمد بن احمد دقیقی) sometimes referred to as Daqiqi (also Dakiki, Daghighi, Persian: دقیقی), was an early Persian[2] poet from Tus[3][4] in Iran or in …   Wikipedia

  • Abu Ubaidah ibn al Jarrah — Abu Ubaidah redirects here. For other uses, see Abu Ubaidah (disambiguation). Aamir Tomb of Abu Ubaidah in Balqa Governorate, Jor …   Wikipedia

  • Abu Ubayda ibn al-Djarrah — Abû Ubayda ibn al Jarrâh[1] de son vrai nom Âmir ben Abd Allah[2] est un compagnon de Mahomet (581 639). C est l un des dix musulmans à qui Mahomet a donné l assurance qu ils iraient au paradis. Il a tué son père au cours d une bataille alors que …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Abu Abdallah Yaqut ibn-Abdallah al-Rumi al-Hamawi — (ár.:ياقوت الحموي), más conocido por Yaqut (año 574 de la Hégira/1179 de la era cristiana año 626 de la Hégira/1229 de la era cristiana), fue un geógrafo y biógrafo de origen sirio. Al Rumi se refiere al hecho de que fue un esclavo descendiente… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Abu Mansur Maturidi — Abu Mansur Al Maturidi Born 853 A.D. Maturid, Samarqand, Samanid Empire Died 944 A.D. (333 A.H.) Samarkand Residence …   Wikipedia

  • Abu ad-Darda'a — al Ansari (arabe : أبو الدرداء) était un compagnon du prophète de l islam Mahomet. Son vrai nom est Uwaymar ibn Malik al Khazraji[1]. Sommaire 1 Biographie 2 Enseignement …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Abu Fuhayra — était un des compagnon du prophète de l islam Mahomet. Il était esclave dans la période préislamique (Jahiliya) et fut affranchi par Abu Bakr as Siddiq avec sept autres personnes : Bilal ibn Ribah, Abu Fakih, Ammar ibn Yasir,… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Abu Sa`id al-Khudri — (arabe : أبو سعيد الخدري) était un compagnons du prophète de l islam Mahomet et était un des plus jeunes. Son vrai nom était Abu Sa id Sa d ibn Malik ibn Sinan Al Khazraji Al Khudri. Il appartenait aux Banu Khazraj ainsi qu aux Ansar, ces… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Abu Nasr Mansur — Born 970 Gīlān Died 1036 Ghazni Fields …   Wikipedia

  • Abu Musa al-Achari — Abu Musa Abd Allah ibn Qays al Ash ari, mieux connu sous le nom de Abu Musa al Ashari (arabe : أبو موسى الأشعري) (d. 662 ou 672) était un compagnon de Mahomet, prophète de l islam et une figure importante dans son histoire. Il fut gouverneur …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”