“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8
December 4, 2024, marks 215 years of global Bible ministry through Biblica. Over the years, our name may have changed – from the New York Bible Society to the International Bible Society to Biblica – but our vision and calling have remained the same. Together we’re working to see the Bible translated and delivered to every language and person, so that everyone can experience a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ.
Over the past 215 years, God has done so much through generous friends like you. Let’s stop and praise Him for these milestones from our history:
- 1809 – Biblica was founded as the New York Bible Society.
- 1810 – Invested in William Carey’s Bengali Bible translation in India.
- 1812 – Launched our Bible ministry to the U.S. military.
- 1836 – Started placing Bibles in hotel rooms.
- 1892 – Greeted Ellis Island Immigrants with Bibles in 65 languages.
- 1952 – Partnered with Billy Graham to provide Bibles for his revival crusades.
- 1978 – Published the first full NIV Bible; over 700 million have now been printed.
- 2004 – Launched Reach4Life Bible program for at-risk youth.
- 2008 – Released the NIV Bible on YouVersion’s Holy Bible App for iOS.
- 2010 – Joined with translation partners to reach every language group by 2033.
- 2019 – Unveiled world’s first fully open license Bible in Arabic.
- 2021 – Launches World’s First AI-Drafted Bible Translation.
- 2023 – Created a digital-first study Bible for pastors in the Global South.
We are so humbled by how God has used Biblica over the past 215 years, and we are excited for what’s to come. Although the world is very different today than it was in 1809, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He never changes, and neither will our commitment to Him. We want to see His Word reach every heart in every language.
So as we celebrate, we invite you to pray for the languages and people who still need His Word. And as we celebrate 215 years of Biblica, we celebrate you, our dedicated prayer warriors, ministry partners, and investors. You are the heroes who make this mission possible, and we can’t wait to see how God will use us to transform more lives in the years to come.
