Pali Version of the Scriptures

Pali Version Of The Scriptures Pali, though no longer a vernacular language in any country, has for ages been established as the religious and learned language of the Buddhists in the island of Ceylon, in the Burman empire, in Siam, Laos, Pegu, Ava, and throughout almost the whole of the eastern peninsula of India. As a language it is immediately derived from the Sanscrit, and was probably the native language of Magadha, the birthplace of Buddha. A version into the Pali was commenced in 1813, under the auspices of the Colombo Bible Society, by Mr. Tolfrey, assisted by two learned Buddhist priests. The version had advanced as far as the end of the epistle to Philemon, when Mr. Tolfrey died, in 1817. In 1825 the Reverend Benjamin Clough resumed the work, and finally, in 1835, the whole New Test. was printed in Pali. One of the Buddhist priests who assisted Mr. Tolfrey in the translation became a sincere convert to Christianity, and subsequently devoted his whole attention to the completion and revision of this important work. See Bible of Every Land, page 91 sq. (B.P.)