Statement Regarding the
Reported Collection and Burning of the 1908 Chamorro Bibles
January 29, 2004 ChST
Editor, ChamorroBible.org

The subject of the collection and burning of the 1908 Chamorro Bible has been recently mentioned

In the article "Resolutions to honor work related to Chamorro Bible" by Steve Limtiaco, Wednesday, January 28, 2004, Pacific Daily News <http://www.GuamPDN.com>, Hagåtña, Guam, USA, <http://www.GuamPDN.com/news/stories/20040128/localnews/302415.html>,
On K-57’s <http://www.K57.com> Wednesday, January 28, 2004, 12:00 ChST (Noon) talk show, Rlene"Live" hosted by Rlene Santos Steffy, Hagåtña, Guam, USA, and
In the article "Chamorro Bible to be printed" by Steve Limtiaco, Thursday, January 29, 2004, Pacific Daily News <http://www.GuamPDN.com>, Hagåtña, Guam, USA, <http://www.GuamPDN.com/news/stories/20040129/localnews/308649.html>.

During the 2001-2003 Chamorro Bible research period a number of historical materials were studied to understand the history and background of the Chamorro Bible. See Chamorro Bible Project: Sources at <http://ChamorroBible.org/chamorrobibleproject.htm> and the Francis Marion Price section at <http://ChamorroBible.org/francis-marion-price.htm>. Nothing was seen in the literature suggesting that the 1908 Chamorro Bibles were collected and burned by any person, by any group of people, by any organization, or by any government. And as of Thursday, January 29, 2004 ChST additional research material has not been received. So the puzzling question of happened to the majority of the 1908 Chamorro Bibles currently remains unanswered.

That said, the historical record does contain a number of interesting events. For example:

1. The burning of the 1918 Edward R. von Preissig, Ph.D. Dictionary and Grammar of the Chamorro Language of the Island of Guam (a dictionary that is online at ChamorroBible.org). See "Why Did the Chamorro Bible Disappear?" by Bethany S. Martin, page 18, paragraphs 5-7, ISLES, Spring 2003, Special Issue: The Resurrection of the (1908) Chamorro Bible, Guam-Micronesia Mission of Seventh-day Adventists, Hagåtña, Guam, USA, <http://ChamorroBible.org/chamorrobibleproject/isles2003-specialissue.htm>.

2. An account of Bible burning in Guam around 1856. "The Island of Guam and Its People" by Francis M. Price, page 17, paragraph 1, The Missionary Review of the World, January 1902, No. 1., Funk & Wagnalls Company, <http://ChamorroBible.org/chamorrobibleproject/francis-marion-price-guam-and-its-people-january-1902.htm>. Additional references to this interesting event have yet to be found.

3. American Bible Society material briefly touching on Bible distribution in Guam. See "Essay #15, Part V-H, Pacific Islands, 1901-1930" by Janice E. Pearson in the Francis Marion Price section at <http://ChamorroBible.org/francis-marion-price.htm>.

4. Archival material about Francis M. Price, including letters by Francis M. Price directly related to the development of the 1908 Chamorro Bible. Again, see ChamorroBible.org’s Francis Marion Price section <http://ChamorroBible.org/francis-marion-price.htm>. In the same section, it is also worth reading through the material from Oberlin College Archives.

5. The American Bible Society’s Version Committee 1908 Chamorro Bible minutes at ChamorroBible.org’s Francis Marion Price section <http://ChamorroBible.org/francis-marion-price.htm>.

It’s good to see interest in and research into the history of the 1908 Chamorro Bible (also referred to as Chamorro and English Scriptures: Y Cuatro Ebangelio Sija Yan Y Checho Y Apostoles Sija Gui Testamento Nuebo Y Señotta Yan Y Satbadotta Si Jesucristo Yan Y Salmo Sija, the Chamorro Scriptures, or Y Cuatro Ebangelio Sija Yan Y Checho Y Apostoles Sija Gui Testamento Nuebo Y Señotta Yan Y Satbadotta Si Jesucristo Yan Y Salmo Sija). May it continue.

Editor, ChamorroBible.org


The Chamorro Bible In Print

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