Slave bible

The slave bible is an edition of the Bible specifically made for educating slaves. Its full title was: Select Parts of the Holy Bible for the use of the Negro Slaves in the British West-India Islands.[1] It was produced in England in the early 19th century for use in the British West Indies (the part of the British Empire in the Caribbean). Such bibles had all "references to freedom and escape from slavery" excised, while passages encouraging obedience and submission were emphasized.[2]

The title page of an excerpted bible printed for reading to slaves, London 1807. Passages such as the Book of Exodus are removed.

British missionaries used that bible in the education and conversion of the enslaved population. The editors removed 90 percent of the Old Testament and half of the New Testament. Among the excluded passages are Galatians 3:28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus", which was thought to possibly incite rebellion. Passages like Ephesians 6:5, "Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ," were kept.[3] The Museum of the Bible, during a 2018 exhibition called "The Slave Bible: Let the Story Be Told", exhibited an example from 1807. This bible was one of three copies of this version, and is owned by Fisk University. It was printed by Law and Gilbert of London, for the Society for the Conversion of Negro Slaves.[4]

References
  1. Little, Becky. "Why Bibles Given to Slaves Omitted Most of the Old Testament". History. A&E Television Networks, LLC. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  2. Draper, Robert (December 2018). "The Bible Hunters". National Geographic: 40–75.
  3. Martin, Michel (December 9, 2018). "Slave Bible From The 1800s Omitted Key Passages That Could Incite Rebellion". NPR. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  4. Medders, Brandy (December 3, 2018). "Fisk University Partners with the Museum of the Bible and the Smithsonian for Slave Bible Exhibition". Fisk University. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
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