by the Frontier Fellowship Team
The Cairo International Book Fair is the largest and oldest book fair in the Arab world. Held annually in the last week of January, it is widely recognized as one of the most important events for book publishers in the region, drawing millions of visitors each year.
One of Frontier Fellowship’s partners in the region, The Bible Society of Egypt (BSOE), publishes and produces Bibles and other Christian materials in Arabic. BSOE is a regular fixture at the Book Fair, offering these crucial Bible resources at affordable costs. This year, they were selling copies of the New Testament for only 2 Egyptian Pounds, which is roughly 13 cents in US dollars. Their second booth featured their Bible resources for children. We recently heard from our partner about the great success they had at the 2022 Book Fair. Here are some of their stories:
“One young lady stood outside our booth looking at the stack of New Testaments. She obviously wanted one, but was unsure if she was allowed. Our sales rep told her, “You can take it if you want.” She was surprised, “Really, can I buy one?” and she left happily with her purchase.”
“At least half of our products are for children of all ages, and everyone is happy for a kid-friendly booth with appealing, colorful Scripture products. One parent had many questions, not particularly because he wanted to hear, but rather to contend and correct. During the lengthy discussion, his daughter was looking at all the wonderful children’s materials and even though he wasn’t personally convinced, he bought her several Bible stories.”
BSOE also goes the extra mile at their booths, offering hand-scripted Bible verses in Arabic as a free gift with the purchase of any Bible resource. Purchasers can request specific scriptures, and go home with a beautiful, artistic depiction of God’s Word. Our partner reported that the two most popular verses this year were: “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” (Joshua 24:15) and “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
God’s Word is being made known in Egypt and throughout the Middle East as a result of BSOE’s crucial ministry. Their most in-demand item at this year’s booth was the Egyptian Study Bible, with guests clearing the shelves 3 or 4 times. In fact, the second print run of these Study Bibles—twelve thousand copies—was depleted in only two months, revealing a deep hunger for truth among Arabic speakers.
The Bible Society of Egypt is currently working to translate the Bible into colloquial Arabic. Translated directly from the original Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, this significant translation will open avenues of Gospel access for Arabic speakers in their heart language. Frontier Fellowship is excited to partner with BSOE on the Colloquial Arabic Bible Translation, and we look forward to the day that it is available at the Cairo International Book Fair!
For more information about the Bible Society of Egypt and how you can be a part of their work, visit frontierfellowship.com/BSOE
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