Language saving Welsh Bible collection on show

AN important and unique historical collection of Welsh Bibles dating back as far as the middle of the 16th century is going on show at Carmarthen Library.

The publication of these volumes has played a crucial role in ensuring the survival of Welsh as a living language over the last 400 years.

Local residents and visitors to Carmarthen library from Monday April 28 will be able to view an exhibition which tells the story and traces the history of the Welsh Bible from the year 1567 to 1806.

What many regard as a highlight is a first edition of the William Morgan Bible, published in 1588 and presented to Queen Elizabeth 1st.

Morgan was a brilliant scholar who translated directly from the Hebrew and Greek originals. He gave the people of Wales a translation in their own tongue marked by a richness and breadth of vocabulary and a poetry which represents the language in its most elevated form.

Where other Celtic languages fell into disuse, Welsh congregations had the benefit of listening week by week to majestic Welsh prose and singing its words incorporated into hymns and arias.

William Morgan’s contribution to the preservation of the Welsh language has been immense, but his motivation and years of dedication to a labour of love were so that men and women could read and understand the Word of the living God.

An original of ‘The Mary Jones’ Bible will be included in a separate display showing how the ’British and Foreign Bible Society’ was born out of the determination of Mary Jones, a young Welsh girl, to obtain her own copy of a Welsh Bible.

A previous visitor has remarked, “It is of interest on many levels: culturally, historically and linguistically and especially to those who are interested in the Bible.”

This opportunity to visit the free exhibition in Carmarthen library is from Monday April 28th 2014.

Further information is available at www.welshbibles.info