The Movement for Christian-National Education (Beweging vir Christelike Volkseie Onderwys (BCVO)) has handed over an incredible treasure to the Heritage Foundation (ES) so that it can be viewed by the public. A 1933 translation of the Bible, signed by the translators of the Bible into Afrikaans, can now be seen at the Voortrekker Monument in the Heritage Foundation building.
“In remembrance of the part you had in the translation of the Bible into our language,” is on the front of the Bible, including the signatures of JD Kestell, JD du Toit (Totius), HCM Fourie, EE van Rooyen and BB Keet – the translators who worked on the first translation of the Bible into Afrikaans.
George Bester, the chairman of the BCVO’s board, bought this Bible when he realised its value. The BCVO, which likes to work together with the Heritage Foundation and the Voortrekker Monument for the preservation and development of Afrikaner heritage, thought it good to place this Bible in the Heritage Foundation’s existing Afrikaans Bible exhibition.
This Bible exhibition, called “the Afrikaner’s faith experience”, is part of the “Afrikaners in the 20th century” exhibition. Bester visited this exhibition on a previous visit to the Voortrekker Monument and realised that the Bible would be a valuable addition to the exhibition.
“As BCVO, we want to help build on our cultural heritage. How better than getting hands-on? Through items like these, we make history come alive,” says Bester.
Dr Danie Langner, managing director of the Voortrekker Monument and the Heritage Foundation notes: “It’s a Bible that has been read.”
The history of the Afrikaner was written by ancestors whose faith was rock solid and will also be developed in the same way.
This Bible was given by the deacons of the Dutch Reformed congregation Bloemfontein to the pastor, Dr JHJ Greyvenstein, given as a gift on 26 August 1933.
