1898 HEBREW BIBLE TRANSLATION. 47pp of Manuscripts Regarding E. W. Bullinger & TBS's Translation.

A phenomenal and particularly timely little archive of letters and manuscripts related to E. W. Bullinger, the Trinitarian Bible Society, and other evangelical Zionists' efforts to affect a fresh translation of the German Scriptures into Hebrew characters. 

A superb and important assemblage of correspondence, manuscripts and documents, including:

1. An 1891 letter to Dr. Christian David Ginsburg from one of the premier Hebraists of the 19th century, Dr. Shelomoh [Solomon] Mandelkern regarding his fees for translating or revising a translation they had already worked on, which he was not satisfied with. He is likely referring to Handler's text. Mandelkern, as well as many of the other people represented in this archive, took part in the First Zionist Congress [1897] and was a supporter of all causes in that direction, including evangelicals. 

2. An 1891 post card to Dr. Christian David Ginsburg, again from Dr. Mandelkern requesting clarity about the base text to be used for the translation and instead proposes a fresh translation of the Hebrew rather than from the German and says that, though it will be a great sacrifice, his heart would be in the work and it is one he is willing to make. In the end, it appears Mandelkern did not participate. 

3. An 1898 2pp ALS from G. H. Handler, an influential biblical languages scholar, to E. W. Bullinger complaining that that communication from the committee [of the Trinitarian Bible Society] has been wanting, and instead, heaps of proof sheets in need of correction keep showing up, with no answers to his questions. He complains that their answers take months, then they want four weeks of work in one and wonders whether the job can be completed. 

4. An 1898 4pp ALS to E. W. Bullinger and the Committee of the Trinitarian Bible Society. G. H. Handler is not happy. He was commissioned in 1892, it was now 1898. He gives a detailed timeline of his work, the delays, their lack of communication, slackness in returning proofs, etc., An important insight into the inner workings [or non-workings] of the TBS at the time.

5. An 1898 3pp ALS to E. W. Bullinger from G. H. Handler complaining that Mr. Fuchs' work, originally quite good, is now all but worthless for editing and proof-reading the translations. 

6. An 1898 1.5pp ALS to E. W. Bullinger from G. H. Handler that "after one spasmodic effort everything has relapsed in its former state, and now nearly four weeks have passed since I received the last proofs from Vienna . . . now this is a most preposterous absurdity, for even with a moderate dispatch, the 28 sheets which are still to be printed and all the revisions necessary cannot possibly be done in the course of this year, as I have told you on a former occasion, and how in the world can there be a talk of completing it in April or May?" 

7. An 1891 ALS on British & Foreign Bible Society letterhead to Mr. Adler [James A.] from William Wright, editorial Secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society regarding a desire to have the "Jews nominate three revisers to undertake the preparation of a German version in the Hebrew character" and inviting Dr. Adler to be one of the three. 

8. An 1891 2pp ALS replying to the above to Dr. William Wright from James A. Adler, stating that he cannot because only a week previous the Trinitarian Bible Society has passed a resolution to do the same, and, because they had already done his New Testament on the same model he felt it best to continue on with them. 

9. An 1891 3pp ALS from John Wilkinson of the Mildmay Mission to the Jews to E. W. Bullinger regarding his advance promise to purchase 100,000 copies of the translation. Very friendly letter "My dear old friend," etc., 

10. An 1891 7pp ALS from John Wilkinson of the Mildmay Misssion to the Jews to E. W. Bullinger again regarding the translation of the Old Testament into German in Hebrew characters. There is again, motr miscommunication. I'm starting to think ole E. W. was perhaps not a great administrator.

11. A clipping "No Bible for the Jews" from 1890, declaring the need of a Hebrew Old Testament in German. This was presumably the genetic seed that led to the project. 

12. A beautifully printed estimate for printing the Judeo-German Bible by Carl Fromme dated . . . 1891. They would not be ready to print for 8 more years.

13. Extracted article, "Yiddish and its Vagaries" with note by John Wilkinson of the Mildmay Mission to the Jews

14. An 1891 3pp ALS from printed Carle Fromme to E. W. Bullinger regarding the typeset, binding, etc., of the Judeo-German Bible.

15. 3pp ALS from A. J. Lev [Jewish-Christian Missionary and Printer] to Dr. E. W. Bullinger [1891] regarding the translation of Dr. Bergmann who is happy to move his work from the British & Foreign Bible Society to the Trinitarian Bible Society, to be revised by [as it was] James Adler. Lev also ran a printing company and proposed that his use of electrotyping and employment of poor Jews allowed him to print at 20 or 25% less than anyone else [and still, he says, paying the "poor Jews" better than their Jewish brethren]. 

16. 1p. April 1891 ALS from A. J. Lev to Bullinger regarding the projected publication.

17. 2pp May 1891 MSs projected printing cost for the Judeo-German Bible from A. J. Lev [entirely in his hand]. 

18. 4pp of specimen print of a Judeo-German Bible produced by A. J. Lev, but to our knowledge never printed.

19. An 1898 3pp typed letter from Carl Fromme to E. W. Bullinger regarding the challenges already mentioned by Handler above with Mr. Fuchs, Fromme also frustrated. He then begs Bullinger to explain the process of typesetting to Handler to calm his anxiety about the progress, etc., 

20. An 1891 1.5pp ALS from Carl Fromme to E. W. Bullinger sending specimens of printing and binding.

21-33. Thirteen MSs invoices to John Wilkinson, E. W. Bullinger, and the Trinitarian Bible Society from Carl Fromme [chipped and worn]

34-47. 14 entire MSs pages containing the original translation and extensive revisions by G. H. Handler. To our knowledge, the work was never published and these likely the only surviving examples of the translation. The four examples on darker sheets quite tender; two of them torn at folds. 

An exceptional archive from the TBS, one of the societies at the heart of the complicated relationship between Christians, Jewish people in Europe, Jewish missions, and Zionism.