![\"Testamente](\"http:\/\/libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk\/newcollegelibrarian\/files\/2014\/03\/PAT-53.jpg\")
<\/a>Testamente nutak : Kaladlin okauzeennut nuktersimarsok [Eskimo Bible]. Copenhagen, 1799. New College Library PAT 53<\/p><\/div>In early 2014 we began work to catalogue the Paterson Bible Collection, as part of the Funk Cataloguing Projects at New College Library. This collection of over 300 Bibles in a huge variety of languages and scripts represents the interests and life’s work of John Paterson (1776\u20131855). Paterson was a Glasgow trained missionary for the Congregational Church, who originally intended to serve in India but instead forged a career in northern Europe (1).<\/p>\n
<\/a>Piibli Ramat, se on keik se Jummala Sanna [Bible. New Testament. Estonian]. Peterburri Linnas, 1822. New College Library PAT 60<\/p><\/div>\n
His work involved translating and printing portions of the scriptures into Finnish, Georgian, Icelandic, Sami, Latvian, Moldavian, Russian, Samogitian, and Swedish. First based\u00a0in Sweden,\u00a0where he founded the Finnish Bible Society, in 1812\u00a0Paterson moved to St Petersburg, where he was involved in the work of what became the Russian Bible Society.\u00a0 In later life\u00a0he returned to\u00a0Scotland where he continued to be active in the Scottish Congregational Church, but was also\u00a0involved with early attempts to produce Bibles for the blind, in a\u00a0precursor of Braille writing (2).<\/p>\n
<\/a>Meije Issanda Jesusse Kristusse Wastne Testament [Bible. New Testament. Estonian]. Riga, 1686 New College Library PAT 58<\/p><\/div>\n
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The Paterson Bible Collection reflects the linguistic\u00a0spectrum of his Northern European work,\u00a0but also includes Bibles in languages as diverse as Amharic, Armenian and\u00a0Ethiopian.\u00a0\u00a0It\u00a0was received by the National Bible Society\u00a0of Scotland\u00a0in 1957 from A. G. C. Baxter of Gilston, Largoward, Paterson’s descendant,\u00a0and subsequently gifted\u00a0 to New College Library in 1991.<\/p>\n
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(1) G. C. Boase, \u2018Paterson, John (1776\u20131855)\u2019, rev. H. C. G. Matthew, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography<\/i>, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http:\/\/www.oxforddnb.com\/view\/article\/21533, accessed 19 Feb 2014]<\/p>\n
(2) Alexander, James M. (1974) ‘Title John Paterson, Bible Society Pioneer, 1776-1855.\u00a0\u00a0The later years \u2013 1813-1855, Records of the Scottish Church History Society<\/i>, vol viii, p196.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In early 2014 we began work to catalogue the Paterson Bible Collection, as part of the Funk Cataloguing Projects at New College Library. This collection of over 300 Bibles in a huge variety of languages and scripts represents the interests … Continue reading