More than 300 years ago, in January 1714, India witnessed a remarkable milestone in printing and translation — the publication of the first Bible printed in the country, and it was in Tamil.
The Missionary Behind the Milestone
This pioneering effort was led by Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg, a German Lutheran missionary from the Danish settlement of Tranquebar (Tharangambadi) on the Tamil Nadu coast.
Sent by King Frederick IV of Denmark, Ziegenbalg mastered Tamil within a few years of his arrival in 1706, recognising that faith must speak in the people’s own tongue.
After painstaking translation from Hebrew and Greek, he completed the New Testament in Tamil, which was printed on a small wooden press — the first of its kind in India.
The First Press and Its Legacy
Each copy was a triumph of patience and cultural exchange, blending European printing techniques with South Indian linguistic traditions.
A Lasting Legacy of Language and Faith
Ziegenbalg’s Tamil Bible marked not just a religious milestone but also a linguistic and educational breakthrough, laying the foundation for modern Tamil printing and translation work in India. Three centuries later, it stands as a quiet testament to the power of language in bridging worlds.
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