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Bible societies 

Bible societies are organizations
formed for translating and distributing
the BIBLE. The model for most Bible
societies, the British and Foreign
Bible Society, was founded in 1804. Its
purpose was to supply inexpensive
Bibles or portions of the Bible,
"without note or comment" in the
languages of the areas where British
missionaries were working. Although a
short-lived Catholic Bible Society was
begun in Regensburg in 1805, which
printed a German New Testament with
Psalms, Bible societies have been
essentially Protestant enterprises. By
the mid-19th century, they existed as
far north as Scandinavia, in Russia to
the east, and in North America. The
American Bible Society, an ecumenical
venture, was founded in 1816. 

The expansion of the work of the
various societies, and the creation of
new national societies brought about
duplication of effort, especially in
the support of translators and in
distribution. Hence, 20 societies
joined in 1946 to form the United Bible
Societies. One of the best-known Bible
societies is Gideons International,
which places a copy of the Bible in
hotel and motel rooms. PAUL MERRITT
BASSETT