Islam’s holy book, the Qur’an; It was translated into Turkish for the first time during the Akkoyunlu State Period and was first translated into modern Turkish by Elmalılı Muhammed Hamdi Yazır in the early years of the Republic by the order of Atatürk.
The only reason Atatürk gave this order in those years was that he wanted his people to learn the belief they believed and lived by not by heart or hearsay, but by reading and researching. A similar event took place in the Christian Faith, but a more painful process took place. Let’s meet the hero of the story, William Tyndale (Vilym Tindil).
William Tyndale in Brief and his early life
William Tyndale; Linguist and Bible scholar, whose mission was to help people reach the truth, not the church, until the day he was executed, and was influenced by Dutch Desiderius Erasmus and Martin Luther, who were the important names of the Renaissance, throughout his life.
Although there is no official information about his birth, it is accepted that he was born in the village of Stinchcombe in Gloucestershire, England in 1494.
Childhood and youth
Tyndale’s family, according to many sources, was the War of the Roses (Wars of the Roses, which lasted for 32 years from 1455 to 1487). It is a family that migrated from Northumberland as a result of a civil war. Since the family is also known as the Hychyns (Hitchins); Tyndale registered at Oxford’s Magdalen Hall as William Hychyns.
Tyndale later studied at Oxford at undergraduate level in theology (theology, theology). He learned advanced levels of French, Greek, Hebrew, German, Italian, Latin and Spanish during his education here. Unfortunately, Erasmus, whom he wanted to meet all his life, had left the school a year before he came to Tyndale.
Cambridge adventure and the point where it all started
While continuing his education in Cambridge after Tyndale, Oxford; Here he began to express his ideas on religion. Translation of the Bible into English was forbidden at that time. Again at that time, the Pope and the Church were directly influential in the state administration.
Tyndale, who could not stand these wrong decisions and practices any longer, said, “Pope, not the state; he should lead the church and every citizen should be able to understand when he reads the holy book,” he made a statement that no one dared in those days.
The emergence of secularism began to plague Tyndale
“Pope, not the state; Tyndale, who displayed a somewhat secular attitude with his statement “he should rule the church”, received a reaction from his close circle and this reaction also spread. Despite all these reactions, Tyndale went one step further and in 1523 set out on a journey to London in hopes of obtaining permission to translate the Bible into English.
Expected response in London and Germany process
When Tyndale arrived in London, as expected, he received a negative and harsh response, but which revolution good-bye and laugh Did it happen in your garden? Tyndale was well aware of this, he had to struggle, and he set about it.
He went to Hamburg, Germany in 1524, with the financial support he received from wealthy London merchants, due to the censorship and blocking attempts he was exposed to in London. He decided to continue his studies by hiding here.
William Tyndale completes the first copies
In 1525, William Tyndale printed and distributed the first copies he had completed in Cologne. His work was well received by the public. Especially the pro-freedom people expressed their gratitude to Tyndale, but as you can guess, the state and the church were not very pleased with this situation. Trial and arrest warrants were issued for Tyndale.
William Tyndale was declared a heretic and tried
In 1529, English statesman and bishop Thomas Wolsey accused Tyndale of being heretical and the trial process was accelerated. This trial, which Tyndale knew was ultimately death, ended without defense and, as anticipated, with the death penalty. With the decision made, the focus was on finding Tyndale.
Tyndale was ratted and captured by his friend
Tyndale had crossed into Belgium despite his death warrant and continued to preach the Bible publicly in hiding, until until he was informed of his hiding place by a trusted friend. Following the information given by his friend, Tyndale was captured in 1535 and imprisoned in Vilvoorde Castle.
Tyndale, who stayed in the castle for a year in some sources and 18 months in some sources; On October 6, 1936, he was tied to a pole and drowned, and then his body was burned while tied to a pole. When Tyndale was asked to pray before he was executed, he said in a loud voice, “I pray that God will open the eyes of the English King.”
What happened after Tyndale’s execution
- Tyndale’s execution, representative.
Do you call it a coincidence of fate or whether Tyndale’s last wish will come true, but only 4 years after Tyndale’s death, in England officially by the state, VIII. At the direction of Henry, the Bible was published with 4 different English translations.
All four published translations were based on Tyndale’s translations and work. If King Henry would allow translation of the Bible; Why was Tyndale executed? Or had the King’s eyes really been closed and opened by Tyndale’s prayer?
Tyndale’s services, honor, and other side of the coin
- Tyndale’s monument erected at the place of his execution, right.
Tyndale didn’t just want the Bible translated. One of the rules Tyndale opposed was the interpretation of scriptures only by chosen clergy. Tyndale also made great efforts to remove this application. Tyndale also introduced many words into the English language during his translation work.
was ranked 26th in the BBC’s 2002 survey of the “100 greatest British writers” in history. His monument was erected in the place where he was executed, many media, especially the BBC, produced documentary films, made mini-series, and writers appeared in their books for Tyndale, which is commemorated every October 6th by the Church of England and the Anglican Community (3rd largest congregation) for his contributions. gave.
William Tyndale transcended taboos and prohibitions as the first person to translate the Bible from Greek into English, including the Bible. Today, he gets the respect he deserves, which he didn’t get in those days. So what do you guys think about Tyndale? Does Tyndale’s story remind you of another story? You can talk about your ideas in the comments.
Sources: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 /
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