Nogai Bible History (3)

**List: Nogai Ministry the Bible ( the Bible ) Nogai... KARASS, OR TURKISH-TARTAR. "THE version of the Scriptures generally denominated the Karass, is so called because a town of that name, on the borders of the Caspian, was the place of its publication.   It has also been improperly termed the Nogay version, on account of its having been found intelligible to the Nogais, a tribe of Tartars dwelling on the banks of the Kouban and Kouma, in the steppes to the northward of Mount Caucasus.   A more correct designation for this version is that of Turkish-Tartar, because it consists principally of words that belong in common to the Turks and Tartars.   It exhibits the Turkish lan- guage in a comparatively pure state, divested of the circumlocutory forms and foreign words adopted by the Turks of Constantinople, and restored to its pristine simplicity.   So far from being written in the colloquial dialect of any particular district, this version corresponds in style and language with such books as are circulated among the Tartars in the south of Russia, and is therefore intelligible to all the different Tartar hordes scattered through that extensive region.    The first version of the Scriptures written in this plain, unadorned Turkish style, was that pub- lished at Oxford in 1666, at the joint expense of the philosopher Boyle and of the Levant Company. The translator was Mr. William Seaman, a moderate non-conformist, who had formerly been chaplain to an English ambassador at the Porte.   This version was not free from faults, and it partook too much of the Constantinopolitan idiom to be readily understood by the Tartars.   It served, however, as the basis of a translation which Mr. Brunton, Scottish my. at Karass, undertook expressly for the benefit of the Tartar tribes.   To avoid the errors into which Seaman had fallen, Mr. Brunton care- fully examined the original text, and consulted, from time to time, the English, German, and other versions.   In 1807 he published an edition of 500 copies of the Gospel of St. Matthew, in folio, and on blue paper.   Never was an edition of any part of the Scriptures carried through the press under more untoward circumstances.   The mies. had difficulty in obtaining the materials requisite for printing, and, owing to the bad construction of their printing-office, their operations were often impeded by the inclemency of the weather; added to this, they were frequently driven, by the predatory incur- sions of the Teherkessians, to bury their types in order to secure them.   On the completion of this Gospel, the British and Foreign Bible Society sent supplies to Karass to print 5000 copies of the entire Testament.   Mr. Brunton only lived to complete the translation, and died while it was being carried through the press.   He was so intimately acquainted with the language in which he wrote, and his style was so pure and idiomatic, that the Tartars looked upon him as a renegade Turk.   After his death, the sheets were corrected by Mr. Frazer, and the edition was completed in 1813.    This edition obtained so extensive a circulation in the south of Russia, that another edition of 5000 copies was issued two years afterwards at Astrakhan.   This was merely a reprint of the Karass edition, with a few emendations introduced by Mr. Dickson, one of the Scottish mies. A translation of the Old Testament was undertaken about the same time by Mr. Dickson.   The Psalms were completed and published at Astrakhan In 1815, and a second edition of 3000 copies appeared at the same place in 1818.   Mr. Dickson afterwards proceeded to render Mr. Brunton's version of the New Testament into a more polished style, and availed himself for this purpose of Ali Bey's Turkish version, which he compared with the original text, and with the principal modern translations.   It does not appear, however, that any portion of this work has been published. RESULT OF THE DISSEMINATION OF THIS VERSION.    Many years have now elapsed since direct intelligence concerning the spiritual state of the Tartar hordes has been obtained in this country.   It is gratifying however to know, that when Dr. Henderson and Dr. Paterson visited Karass in 1820, they found that the Turkish-Tartar New Testament was well understood by the natives, and that in consequence of their reading it, their prejudices had in a great measure been softened down, and a general knowledge of the principles of Christianity had been diffused among them.   A similar testimony to the value of this version was borne in 1835 by Mr. Galloway, a Scottish my. employed by the British and Foreign Bible Society in dis- seminating the Scriptures among the Tartars."--The Bible of Every Land. (1860, Second Edition)   Samuel Bagster   [Info only] KARASS, OR TURKISH-TARTAR.   SEAMAN'S VERSION.--1860   S. Bagster   [Info only: "1666" John 5:1-4 unknown.] KARASS, OR TURKISH-TARTAR.   BRUNTON'S VERSION.--1860   S. Bagster   [Info only: "1813" John 5:1-4 unknown.]

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