Adoniram Judson
Missionary to Burma
Born	August 9, 1788 Malden, Massachusetts
Died	April 12, 1850 At sea in the Bay of Bengal

Adoniram Judson, Sr. (9 August 1788 — 12 April 1850) was an American Baptist missionary who labored for almost forty years in Burma (now known as Myanmar). Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. At the age of 25, Adoniram Judson^[1] was the first Protestant missionary sent from North America^[2] to preach in Burma. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. His mission and work led to the formation of the first Baptist association in America, inspired many Americans to become or support missionaries, translated the Bible into Burmese, and established a number of Baptist churches in Burma. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin The Burmese language (မြန်မာဘာသာ myà̃mà bàθà MLCTS: myanma bhasa) is the official Language of Burma. He is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the "first missionary to Burma," but he was actually preceded by James Chater and Richard Mardon who arrived in 1807. They were followed by Felix Carey. However, since those who came earlier did not remain very long, Judson is remembered as the first significant missionary there, as well as one of the group of the very first missionaries from America to travel overseas.

Early life

Part of a series on Protestant missions to the Southeast Asia

Adoniram Judson

Background Christianity Protestantism Missions timeline

People George Boardman Sarah Hall Boardman Ann Hasseltine Judson Francis Mason Eliza Grew Jones Emily Chubbuck Dan Beach Bradley Margaret Landon

Missionary agencies London Missionary Society American Board Church Missionary Society Baptist Missionary Society OMF International US Presbyterian Mission This box: view • talk • edit

House where Judson was born

Judson was born on 9 August 1788 in Malden, Massachusetts, son of a Congregational minister of the same name. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. This timeline of Christian missions chronicles the global expansion of Christianity through a sampling of missionary outreach events Further reading King Alonzo (1834 Memoir of George Dana Boardman: late missionary to Burmah containing much intelligence relative to the Burman mission. Sarah Hall Boardman ( 4 November 1803 – 3 September 1845) born in Alstead New Hampshire, spent 20 years of her life in Burma Publications Knowles Life (Boston 1829 See also Judson College in Marion Alabama Francis Mason ( April 2 1799 - 3 March 1874) American Missionary, was born in York England. Eliza Grew Jones (March 30 1803-March 28 1838 is noted for having created a Romanized script for writing the Siamese language, and for creating a Siamese-English Biography Emily Chubbuck was born to poor parents in Eaton New York on August 23, 1817. Dan Beach Bradley, MD ( 18 July 1804 — 23 June 1873) was an American Protestant Missionary Margaret Landon ( September 7 1903 - December 4 1993) was an American Writer who became famous for Anna and The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational Missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM was the first American Christian foreign mission agency The Church Mission Society, known as the Church Missionary Society in Australia and New Zealand is a group of evangelistic societies working with the Anglican Church BMS World Mission is a Christian Missionary society founded by Baptists from England around 1792. OMF International (formerly Overseas Missionary Fellowship and before that the China Inland Mission before 1964 is an interdenominational American Presbyterian Mission was an American Presbyterian missionary society operated by the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. He entered Providence College (now Brown University) at the age of sixteen, and graduated as valedictorian of his class at the age of nineteen. Brown University is a highly esteemed private University located in Providence, Rhode Island and is a member of the Ivy League. He then attended The Andover Theological Seminary, and graduated in 1810. Andover Theological Seminary, now part of Andover Newton Theological School, is the oldest Graduate school of Theology in the United States. Two years previous, he had "made a solemn dedication of himself to God. " This was followed by a resolve to work as a missionary during the year of his graduation. He had joined an earnest group of mission-minded students at Andover who called themselves "the Brethren. " It was the students there at Andover, not the organizational leadership of the church, who ignited the fire that gave America its first organized missionary society. Passionately eager to serve abroad, and convinced that "Asia with its idolatrous myriads, was the most important field in the world for missionary effort"^[3] and appeared before the Congregation Church's General Association to appeal for support to their missionary intentions. Impressed by the polite behavior of the four men and their sincerity, the elders in 1810 voted to form an "American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM was the first American Christian foreign mission agency "

Journey to London

On January 11, 1811 Judson embarked at Boston on the ship "Packet," bound to Liverpool, to visit the London Missionary Society, since at that time there was no American missionary sending agency. Liverpool ( is a City and Metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational Missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and However, the trip was complicated by a French privateer, "L'Invincible Napoleon" which captured the ship and took everyone prisoner. A privateer was a private Warship authorized by a country's Government by Letters of marque to attack foreign shipping They put in at Le Passage, in Spain, and were conveyed to Bayonne, in France, where, after a short imprisonment, Judson was permitted to "remain at large. Bayonne ( French: Bayonne bajɔn Gascon Occitan and Basque: Baiona) is a city and commune of southwest This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. " On April 16 Judson arrived in Paris, crossed the English Channel from Morlaix to Dartmouth and arrived in London on May 3rd. He soon visited the Missionary Seminary at Gosport. History The Rowner area of the peninsula was known to have been settled in Saxon times mentioned in the Anglo Saxon Chronicles as Rughenor (Rough bank or slope Judson returned to New York aboard the "Augustus," arriving in August of 1811.

Commissioning and marriage

Sailing from Salem on the "Caravan"

On September 19, Judson was appointed by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions as a missionary to the East. Judson was also commissioned by the Congregational Church, and soon married Ann Hasseltine on February 5, 1812. Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently Publications Knowles Life (Boston 1829 See also Judson College in Marion Alabama Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year He was ordained the next day at the Tabernacle Church in Salem, and on February 19 set sail aboard the brig "Caravan" with Luther Rice, Samuel Newell and Harriett Newell and his wife, Ann (known as "Nancy") Judson.

Voyage to India

The Judsons arrived in Calcutta, India on June 17, 1812. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country While aboard ship on route to India, he did a focused study on the theology of baptism. He came to the position that believer's baptism was theologically valid and should be done as a matter of obedience to the command of Jesus (Matthew 28:19–20). Believer's baptism (occasionally called credobaptism, from the Latin word credo) is the Christian practice of Baptism as this is understood by On September 6, 1812, he switched to the Baptist denomination along with his wife and they were baptized by immersion — now as believers — in Calcutta by an English missionary associate of William Carey named William Ward. Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Baptist is a term describing individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted William Carey may refer to William Carey (1761&ndash1834 an English Protestant missionary William Carey (c Early life Ward was born at Derby on 20 October 1769 and was the son of John Ward a carpenter and builder of that town and grandson of Thomas Ward a farmer at Both the local and British authorities did not want Americans evangelizing Hindus in the area, so the group of missionaries separated and sought other mission fields. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical They were ordered out of India by the British East India Company, to whom American missionaries were even less welcome than British (they were baptized in September, and already in June the United States had declared war on England). The Honourable East India Company ( HEIC) referred to most commonly as the East India Company, also historically and colloquially as John Company, or The following year, on July 13, 1813, he moved to Burma, and en route his wife miscarried their first child aboard ship. Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to Year 1813 ( MDCCCXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia.

Judson offered to Baptists in the United States to serve as their missionary. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Luther Rice who had also converted was in poor health and returned to America where his work and William Carey's urging; resulted in the formation of the the first national Baptist denomination in the United States for Foreign Missions (commonly called the Triennial Convention)in 1814. The Triennial Baptist Convention also simply known as the Triennial Convention, the first national Baptist denomination in the United States of America, was established

Missionaries in Burma

It was another difficult year before the Judsons finally reached their intended destination, Burma. ^[4] Buddhist Burma, Judson was told by the Serampore Baptists, was impermeable to Christian evangelism. Judson, who already knew Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, immediately began studying the Burmese grammar but took over three years learning to speak it. This was due, in part, to the radical difference in structure between Burmese and that of "Western" languages. He found a tutor and spent twelve hours per day studying the language. He and his wife firmly dedicated themselves to understanding it. During this time they were almost entirely isolated from contact with any European or American. This was the case for their first three years in Burma. Four years passed before Judson dared even to hold a semi-public service. At first, he tried adapting to Burmese customs by wearing a yellow robe to mark himself as a teacher of religion, but he soon changed to white to show he was not a Buddhist. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Then, he gave up the whole attempt as artificial and decided that, regardless of his dress, no Burmese would identify him as anything but a foreigner. However, he accommodated to some Burmese customs and built a zayat, the customary bamboo and thatch reception shelter, on the street near his home as a reception room and meeting place for Burmese men. A zayat ( zəjaʔ is a Burmese building found in almost every village Fifteen men came to his first public meeting in April 1819. He was encouraged but suspected they had come more out of curiosity than anything else. Their attention wandered, and they soon seemed uninterested. Two months later he baptized his first Burmese convert, Maung Naw, a 35 year old timber worker from the hill tribes.

A Burmese Zayat

First attempts by the Judsons to interest the natives of Rangoon with the Gospel of Jesus met with almost total indifference. Buddhist traditions and the Burmese world view at that time led many to disregard the pleadings of Adorniram and his wife to believe in one "living" and "all-powerful" God. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices To add to their discouragement, their second child, Roger William Judson, died at almost eight months of age. Judson completed translation of the "Grammatical Notices of the Burman Language" the following July and the Gospel of Matthew in 1817. The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel Judson began public evangelism in 1818 sitting in a zayat by the roadside calling out "Ho! Everyone that thirsteth for knowledge!" His first convert was baptized in 1819, and there were 18 converts by 1822. Evangelism is the Christian practice of proselytisation. The intention of most evangelism is to effect Eternal salvation to those who do not follow the A zayat ( zəjaʔ is a Burmese building found in almost every village Year 1819 ( MDCCCXIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar in the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common year Year 1822 (MDCCCXXII was a Common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Sunday of the In 1820, Judson and a fellow missionary named Colman attempted to petition the Emperor of Burma, King Bagyidaw, in the hope that he would grant freedom for the missionaries to preach and teach throughout the country as well as remove the sentence of death that was given for those Burmese who "changed religion. King Bagyidaw (ဘကြီးတော် literally Royal Elder Uncle 23 July 1784 - 15 October 1846 was the seventh king of the Konbaung Dynasty of Burma who " However, Bagyidaw disregarded their appeal and threw one of their Gospel tracts to the ground after reading a few lines. The missionaries returned to Rangoon and met with the fledgling church there to consider what to do next. The progress of Christianity would continue to be slow with much risk of endangerment and death in the Burmese Empire.

It took Judson twelve years to make eighteen converts. Nevertheless, there was much to encourage him. He had written a grammar of the language that is still in use today and had begun to translate the Bible. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin His remarkable wife, Ann, was even more fluent in the spoken language of the people than her more academically literate husband. She befriended the kind wife of the viceroy of Rangoon as quickly as she did illiterate workers and women. Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city and a former capital of Burma. Moreover, a printing press had been sent from Serampore, and a missionary printer, George H. Hough, who arrived from America with his wife in 1817, produced the first printed materials in Burmese ever printed in Burma including 800 copies of Judson's translation of the Gospel of Matthew. The Gospel of Matthew (Gk Κατά Ματθαίον Ευαγγέλιον is one of the four Canonical gospels in the New Testament and is a Synoptic gospel ^[5] The chronicler of the church, Maung Shwe Wa, concludes this part of the story: "So was born the church in Rangoon–logger and fisherman, the poor and the rich, men and women. One traveled the whole path to Christ in three days; another took two years. But once they had decided for Christ they were his for all time. "

Moung Shway Moung, an early convert to Christianity

One of the early disciples was U Shwe Ngong, a teacher and leader of a group of intellectuals dissatisfied with Buddhism who were attracted to the new faith. He was a Deist skeptic to whose mind the preaching of Judson, once a college skeptic himself, was singularly challenging. Deism is the belief that a supreme God exists and created the physical universe and that religious truths can be arrived at by the application of reason alone without dependence on revelation After consideration, he assured Judson that he was ready to believe in God, Jesus Christ, and the atonement. Judson, instead of welcoming him to the faith, pressed him further asking if he believed what he had read in the gospel of Matthew that Jesus the son of God died on the cross. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) U Shwe Ngong shook his head and said, "Ah, you have caught me now. I believe that he suffered death, but I cannot believe he suffered the shameful death on the cross. " Not long after, he came back to tell Judson, "I have been trusting in my own reason, not the word of God…. I now believe the crucifixion of Christ because it is contained in scripture. ^[6]"

The essence of Judson's preaching was a combination of conviction of the truth with the rationality of the Christian faith, a firm belief in the authority of the Bible, and a determination to make Christianity relevant to the Burmese mind without violating the integrity of Christian truth, or as he put it, "to preach the gospel, not anti-Buddhism. ^[7]" By 1823, ten years after his arrival, membership of the little church had grown to eighteen, and Judson had finally finished the first draft of his translation of the entire text of the New Testament in Burmese. Year 1823 ( MDCCCXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The Burmese language (မြန်မာဘာသာ myà̃mà bàθà MLCTS: myanma bhasa) is the official Language of Burma. ^[8]

Ko Thah A, an early convert

Judson imprisoned at Ava

The First Anglo-Burmese War (1824–1826)

Two irreconcilable hungers triggered the First Anglo-Burmese War of 1824: Burma's desire for more territory, and Britain's desire for more trade. The First Anglo–Burmese War lasted from 1823 to 1826 In the United Kingdom it is called the First Burmese War whereas Burmese custom names both belligerents Burma threatened Assam and Bengal; Britain responded by attacking and absorbing two Burmese provinces into her India holdings to broaden her trade routes to East Asia. Assam) ( Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur, a suburb of the city Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang The war was a rough interruption of the Baptists' missionary work. English-speaking Americans were too easily confused with the enemy and suspected of spying.

Adoniram Judson was imprisoned for 17 months during the war between England and Burma, first at Ava and then at Aung Pinle. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. Innwa ( formerly Ava) is a city in the Mandalay Division of Burma, situated just to the south of Amarapura on the Ayeyarwady River Judson and Price were violently arrested. Officers led by an official executioner burst into the Judson home, threw Mr. Judson to the ground before the eyes of his wife, bound him with torture thongs, and dragged him off to the infamous, vermin-ridden "death prison" of Ava. Vermin is a term applied to various animal species regarded as pests or nuisances and especially to those associated with the carrying of Disease. Innwa ( formerly Ava) is a city in the Mandalay Division of Burma, situated just to the south of Amarapura on the Ayeyarwady River Twelve agonizing months later he and Price, along with a small group of surviving Western prisoners, were marched overland, barefoot and sick, for six more months of misery in a primitive village near Mandalay. Mandalay is the second largest city and the last royal capital of Burma (Myanmar and is the economic and cultural hub of Upper Burma Of the sepoy British prisoners-of-war imprisoned with them, all but one died. A sepoy (ˈsipɔɪ (from Persian سپاهی Sipâhi meaning "soldier" was a native of India, a soldier allied to a European power usually the The sufferings and brutalities of those twenty long months and days in prison, half-starved, iron-fettered, and sometimes trussed and suspended by his mangle feet with only head and shoulders touching the ground, is described in unexaggerated detail by his wife, Ann, shortly after his release. ^[9] The heroic Ann was perhaps the greater model of supreme courage. Heedless of all threats against herself, left alone as the only Western woman in an absolute and anti-Christian monarchy at war with the West, beset with raging fevers and nursing a tiny baby her husband had not yet seen; she rushed from office to office in desperate attempts to keep her husband alive and win his freedom. ^[10]

The end of the war should have been a time of rejoicing for the mission, As soon as her husband were released by the Burmese, Mrs. Judson wrote that one good result of the war could be that terms of the treaty which ceded Burmese provinces to the British might provide opportunity to expand the witness of the mission into hitherto unreached parts of the country. ^[11]

But a few months later, Ann was dead, a victim of the long, dreadful months of disease, death, stress and loneliness that had been hers for 21 months. She died alone. In 24 October 1826, Ann died at Amherst (now Kyaikkami), Burma, and their third child died six months later. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat For the game see 1826 (board game. Year 1826 ( MDCCCXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display Kyaikkami is a resort Town in the Mon State of south-east Myanmar. Her husband was already out exploring in one of the ceded provinces, Tenasserim. Tanintharyi Division, better known by the old name Tenasserim (Thaiตะนาวศรี is a division of Myanmar, covering the long narrow southern And it was in the wild hills of that newly British province of Tenasserim that the first signs of rapid growth in Protestant Christianity in Burma began. The statistics are startling. Within a few years of the end of the war, Baptist membership doubled on an average of every eight years for the thirty-two years between 1834 and 1866. ^[12]

Nancy visits Adoniram in prison

The collapse of Burma's armies brought Judson out of prison, but his release was not complete freedom. For several months in 1826 after the surrender, Burma pressed Judson into its service as a translator for the peace negotiations. For the game see 1826 (board game. Year 1826 ( MDCCCXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display Some have used Judson's acceptance of a role in the treaty negotiations as evidence of complicity in imperialism, but it should be noted that he first acted on behalf of the defeated Burmese as translator, not for the Western victors. Imperialism has two meanings one describing an action and the other describing an attitude

The first Burmese pastor he ordained was Ko-Thah-a, one of the original group of converts, who refounded the church at Rangoon. Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city and a former capital of Burma.

Three significant factors had a part, though not the only part, in the rise of the Burmese Baptist churches. Most of the growth was in British-ruled territory, not in the Burmese-ruled kingdom. It may also be significant that after an Anglo-Burmese war, the missionaries were American, not British. But probably the most telling factor was religion. Most of the growth came from animist tribes, not from the major population group, the Buddhist Burmese.

The "Karen Apostle" and expanding church growth

Baptism of Karen people in the presence of the dying George Boardman

The nation was Burmese; its lost province was British; and the missionaries were American, but the "apostle" of that first numerically significant evangelistic breakthrough was neither British nor American nor Burman. The Karen ( self-titled Pwa Ka Nyaw Po, and also known in Thailand as the Kariang (กะเหรี่ยง or Yang, are an ethnic group in Further reading King Alonzo (1834 Memoir of George Dana Boardman: late missionary to Burmah containing much intelligence relative to the Burman mission. He was a Karen, Ko Tha Byu,^[13] though credit is rightly due also to the three missionary pioneers to the Karen, George Boardman and his wife, Sarah, and Adoniram Judson. The Karen ( self-titled Pwa Ka Nyaw Po, and also known in Thailand as the Kariang (กะเหรี่ยง or Yang, are an ethnic group in Further reading King Alonzo (1834 Memoir of George Dana Boardman: late missionary to Burmah containing much intelligence relative to the Burman mission.

The Karen people were a primitive, hunted minority group of ancient Burmo-Tibetan ancestry scattered in the forests and jungles of the Salween River and in the hills along the southeast coast. The Salween River (သံလွင်မြစ် θànlwìn myiʔ also spelled Salwine) rises in Tibet ( after which it flows through Yunnan ^[14] Judson was the first missionary to make contact with them about 1827 when he ransomed and freed a debt-slave from one of his early converts. The freed slave, Ko Tha Byu, was an illiterate, surly man who spoke almost no Burmese and was reputed to be not only a thief but also a murderer who admitted killing at least thirty men, but could not remember exactly how many more. ^[15]

In 1828 the former Karen bandit, "whose rough, undisciplined genius, energy and zeal for Christ" had caught the notice of the missionaries, was sent south with a new missionary couple, the Boardmans, into the territory of the strongly animistic, non-Buddhist Karen. There, he was no sooner baptized^[16] then he set off into the jungle alone to preach to his fellow tribespeople. Astonishingly, he found them strangely prepared for his preaching. Their ancient oracle traditions, handed down for centuries, contained some startling echoes of the Old Testament that some scholars conjecture a linkage with Jewish communities (or possibly even Nestorians) before their migrations from western China into Burma perhaps as early as the twelfth century. In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. ^[17]

The core of what they called their "Tradition of the Elders" was a belief in an unchangeable, eternal, all-powerful God, creator of heaven and earth, of man, and of woman formed from a rib taken from the man. They believed in humanity's temptation by a devil, and its fall, and that some day a messiah would come to its rescue. They lived in expectation of a prophecy that white foreigners would bring them a sacred parchment roll. ^[18]

While the Boardmans and Ko Tha Byu were penetrating the jungles to the south, Adoniram Judson shook off a paralyzing year-long siege of depression that overcame him after the death of his wife, Ann, and set out alone on long canoe trips up the Salween River into the tiger-infested jungles to evangelize the northern Karen. The tiger ( Panthera tigris) is a member of the Felidae family the largest and the most powerful of the four " Big cats quot in the Genus Between trips he worked untiringly at his lifelong goal of translating the whole Bible into the Burmese language. The Burmese language (မြန်မာဘာသာ myà̃mà bàθà MLCTS: myanma bhasa) is the official Language of Burma. When he finished it at last in 1834, he had been labouring on it for twenty-four years. It was printed and published in 1835.

In April of that same year, he married Sarah Hall Boardman, widow of fellow missionary George Boardman. Sarah Hall Boardman ( 4 November 1803 – 3 September 1845) born in Alstead New Hampshire, spent 20 years of her life in Burma Further reading King Alonzo (1834 Memoir of George Dana Boardman: late missionary to Burmah containing much intelligence relative to the Burman mission. They had eight children, five of whom survived to adulthood. Sarah's health began failing and physicians recommended a return to America. Sarah died en route at St. Helena on 1 September 1845. Saint Helena (pronounced saint he-LEE-na) named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin and a British overseas territory Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common He continued home, where he was greeted as a celebrity and toured the eastern seaboard raising the profile of and money for missionary activity. Because he could barely speak above a whisper due to pulmonary illness, his public addresses were made by speaking to an assistant, who would then address the audience. ^[1] On 2 June 1846, Judson married for the third time, to writer Emily Chubbuck who he had commissioned to write memoirs for Sarah Hall Boardman. Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Biography Emily Chubbuck was born to poor parents in Eaton New York on August 23, 1817. They had a daughter born in 1847.

Judson lived for fifteen more years of work in and for Burma. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. He lived to approve and welcome the first single women missionaries to Burma. A general rule of the mission had hitherto prevented such appointments. It was, said Judson, "probably a good" rule, "but our minds should not be closed" to making exceptions. The first two "exceptions" were extraordinarily exceptional. Miss Sarah Cummings arrived in 1832. Year 1832 ( MDCCCXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Miss Cummings proved her mettle at once, choosing to work alone with Karen evangelists in the malaria-ridden Salween River valley north of Moulmein, but within two years she died of fever. Malaria is a vector -borne Infectious disease caused by Protozoan Parasites It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions including ^[19] A second single woman, Eleanor Macomber, after five years of mission to the Ojibway Indians in Michigan, joined the mission in faraway Nurma in 1835. The Ojibwa or Chippewa (also Ojibwe, Ojibway, Chippeway) is the largest group of Native Americans - First Nations Michigan ( is a Midwestern state of the United States of America. Year 1835 ( MDCCCXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Alone, with the help of Karen evangelistic assistants, she planted a church in a remote Karen village and nurtured it to the point where it could be placed under the care of an ordinary missionary. She lived five years and died of jungle fever. ^[20]

Judson developed a serious lung disease and doctors prescribed a sea voyage as a cure. On 12 April 1850, Adoniram Judson died at age 61 on board ship in the Bay of Bengal and was buried at sea, having spent 37 years in missionary service abroad with only one home leave. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean.

Published works

The Bible in Burmese translated by Judson

• Burmese Bible (still in print, see below), as well as portions published before the entire text was translated,
• A Burmese-English dictionary (English-Burmese portion completed posthumously, see below),
• A Burmese Grammar,
• Two hymns: Our Father, God, Who art in Heaven and Come Holy Spirit, Dove Divine.

Legacy

Judson Memorial Baptist Church in Mandalay circa 1913

Judson Memorial Church today

Judson Memorial Church in Yangon University 2004

When Judson began his mission in Burma, he set a goal of translating the Bible and founding a church of 100 members before his death. When he died, he left the bible, 100 churches, and over 8,000 believers. In large part due to his influence, Myanmar has the third largest number of Baptists worldwide, behind the United States and India. Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar ( pjìdàunzṵ mjàmmà nàinŋàndɔ̀ is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia. The majority of adherents are Karen and Kachin. The Karen ( self-titled Pwa Ka Nyaw Po, and also known in Thailand as the Kariang (กะเหรี่ยง or Yang, are an ethnic group in The Jingpo or Kachin people (; endonyms Jingpo Jinghpaw Tsaiva Lechi are an Ethnic group who largely inhabit northern Burma ( Kachin State Each July, Baptist churches in Myanmar celebrate "Judson Day," commemorating his arrival as a missionary. Inside the campus of Yangon University is Judson Church, named in his honor, and in 1920 Judson College, named in his honor, merged into Rangoon College, which has since been renamed Yangon University. Yangon University (also University of Yangon) ( Burmese:) located in Kamayut, Yangon, is the largest and most well-known university ^[2]

Judson compiled the first ever Burmese-English dictionary. The Burmese language (မြန်မာဘာသာ myà̃mà bàθà MLCTS: myanma bhasa) is the official Language of Burma. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The English-Burmese half was interrupted by his death and completed by missionary E. A. Steven. Every dictionary and grammar written in Burma in the last two centuries has been based on ones originally created by Judson. Judson "became a symbol of the preeminence of Bible translation for" Protestant missionaries. ^[3] In the 1950s, Burma's Buddhist prime minister U Nu told the Burma Christian Council "Oh no, a new translation is not necessary. U Nu (ဦးနု ú nṵ otherwise known as Thakin Nu 25 May 1907 – 14 February 1995) was a leading Burmese Nationalist Judson's captures the language and idiom of Burmese perfectly and is very clear and understandable. "^[4] His translation remains the most popular version in Myanmar.

His change of persuasion to the validity of believer's baptism, and subsequent need of support, led to the founding of the first national Baptist organization in the United States and subsequently to all American Baptist associations, including the Southern Baptists that were the first to break off from the national organization. Believer's baptism (occasionally called credobaptism, from the Latin word credo) is the Christian practice of Baptism as this is understood by The Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC) is a United States -based mostly conservative Christian denomination The printing of his wife Ann's letters about their mission inspired many Americans to become or support Christian missionaries. There are at least 36 Baptist churches in the United States named after him, Judson University in Illinois is named after him and Judson College in Alabama is named after his wife Ann. Judson University is an evangelical Christian liberal arts university located in Elgin Illinois. Judson College, founded in 1838 in Marion, Alabama, (as Judson Female Institute) is one of ^[5]

In World War II the United States liberty ship SS Adoniram Judson was named in his honor. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The United States of America —commonly referred to as the History and service In 1936 the American Merchant Marine Act was passed to subsidize the annual construction of 50 commercial merchant vessels to be used in wartime by

Chronology

• 1788 — Adoniram Judson born at Malden, Massachusetts, August 9
• 1804 — Entered Brown University one year in advance, August 17
• 1807 — Received degree of B. Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Brown University is a highly esteemed private University located in Providence, Rhode Island and is a member of the Ivy League. Events 986 - A Byzantine army was destroyed in the pass of Trajan's Gate by the Bulgarians under the Comitopuli A. , September 2
• 1808 — Completed English Grammar, and "Young Ladies' Arithmetic";
• Entered Andover Theological Seminary, October 12
• 1809 — United with Third Congregational Church of Plymouth, May 28
• 1810 — Resolved with others to be a missionary, February
• 1811 — Sent to London to confer with London Missionary Society, January 11 to August 7
• Appointed missionary to the East, September 19
• 1812 — Married to Ann Hasseltine, February 5
• Ordained at Salem, February 6
• Sailed from Salem, February 12
• United with Baptist Church in Calcutta, September 6
• 1813 — Arrived in Rangoon, July 13
• 1819 — Began public worship in Burmese language, April 4
• Baptized Moung Hau, first Burman convert, June 27
• 1823 — Completed New Testament in Burmese, July 12
• 1824 — Arrived in Ava, January 23
• In fetters and prison as spy, June 8 to December 30, 1825
• 1825 — Mary Elizabeth born, January 26
• 1826 — Arrived at Rangoon, March 21
• Arrived at Amherst, July 2
• Heard of Mrs. Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Andover Theological Seminary, now part of Andover Newton Theological School, is the oldest Graduate school of Theology in the United States. Events 539 BC - The army of Cyrus the Great of Persia takes Babylon. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational Missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I. Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France. Salem is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Yangon (also known as Rangoon) is the largest city and a former capital of Burma. Events 1174 - William I of Scotland, a key rebel in the Revolt of 1173-1174, is captured at Alnwick by forces loyal to The Burmese language (မြန်မာဘာသာ myà̃mà bàθà MLCTS: myanma bhasa) is the official Language of Burma. Events 1581 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. Events 1358 - Republic of Dubrovnik is founded 1709 - Peter the Great defeats Charles XII of Sweden Events 1191 - Saladin 's garrison surrenders ending the two-year Siege of Acre. Innwa ( formerly Ava) is a city in the Mandalay Division of Burma, situated just to the south of Amarapura on the Ayeyarwady River Events 393 - Roman Emperor Theodosius I proclaims his nine year old son Honorius co-emperor Events 68 - The Roman Senate accepts emperor Galba. 536 - St Silverius becomes Pope (probable Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 1825 ( MDCCCXXV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. Events 310 - Pope Miltiades is elected 626 - In fear of assassination Li Shimin ambushes and kills his rival Judson's death (October 24) on November 24
• 1827 — Heard of his father's death (November 25, 1826) July 11
• Arrived in Maulmain, November 14
• 1834 — Married Mrs. Events 69 - Second Battle of Bedriacum, forces under Antonius Primus the commander of the Danube armies loyal to Vespasian, defeat Events 380 - Theodosius I makes his adventus, or formal Events 1034 - Máel Coluim mac Cináeda, King of Scots dies Donnchad, the For the game see 1826 (board game. Year 1826 ( MDCCCXXVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Sarah Boardman, April 10
• 1835 — Completed Old Testament translation, December 29
• 1844 — Edward Judson, son, born at Maulmain, Burma
• 1845 — Mrs. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II Edward Judson (1844-1914 was an American Baptist clergyman born at Maulmain, British Burma, a son of the missionary Adoniram Judson Judson died while on way to America, September 1
• Arrived in Boston, October 15
• 1846 — Married Emily Chubbuck, June 2
• Sailed for Mawlamyaing, July 11
• 1849 — Completed English-Burmese dictionary, January 24
• 1850 — Died at sea April 12

External links

• Adoniram Judson biographies
• Life and Work of Judson
• SBHLA bio of Judson
• Google E-text of an 1853 Biography Volume One
• Google E-text of an 1853 Biography Volume Two
• Judson College
• Online Burmese Bible
• Online Burmese Bible (Compatible with Burmese Wikipedia) — Translated from The Original Tongues by Rev. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Events 533 - Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Events 455 - The Vandals enter Rome, and plunder the city for two weeks Mawlamyine or Mawlamyaing ( mɔ̀ləmjàiN mjo̰ formerly Moulmein) is the third largest city of Burma (Myanmar situated 300 km south east of Yangon Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. A. Judson, D. D.
• Adoniram Judson at Find-A-Grave
• Judson Memorial Baptist Church Lansing, MI
• Memorial Church in NY to Adoniram Judson
• Judson Baptist Church Singapore - Burmese Estiblished in 1989

References

• ^  Wayland, A memoir of the Life and Labors of the Rev. Adoniram Judson.
• ^  Robert Torbet, Venture of Faith: The Story of the American Baptist Missionary Society.
• ^  Wayland, A memoir of the Life and Labors of the Rev. Adoniram Judson.
• ^  Wayland, A memoir of the Life and Labors of the Rev. Adoniram Judson, 1:95–110
• ^  Maung Shwe Wa, Burma Baptist Chronicle
• ^  Wayland, A memoir of the Life and Labors of the Rev. Adoniram Judson, 1:120–121
• ^  Maung Shwe Wa, Burma Baptist Chronicle, page 9–10

• ^  Maung Shwe Wa, Burma Baptist Chronicle, page 24–25
• ^  Wayland, A memoir of the Life and Labors of the Rev. Adoniram Judson, 2:126
• ^  Wayland, A memoir of the Life and Labors of the Rev. Adoniram Judson, 127–132
• ^  Knowles, Memoir of Mrs Ann H. Judson, 252–259
• ^  Knowles, Memoir of Mrs Ann H. Judson, 252–259
• ^  Wayland, A memoir of the Life and Labors of the Rev. Adoniram Judson, 1:358–366
• ^  Knowles, Memoir of Mrs Judson, 226–227
• ^  Maung Shwe Wa, Burma Baptist Chronicle, p. 266
• ^  Francis Mason, The Karen Apostle, or, Memoir of Ko tha Byu, the First Karen convert.
• ^  H. P. Cochrane, Among the Burmans: A Record of Fifteen Years.
• ^  Mason, The Karen Apostle, 11–12
• ^  Memoir of Sarah Boardman Judson, Member of the American mission to Burma.
• ^  The authenticity of this ancient story as a tradition is confirmed by the fact that it has been found not only among the Karen, but also, with variations, among the Kachins, Was, Akhas, Lisus, and even the Mizo and Naga tribes of notheastern India. See Herman G. Tegenfeldt, A Century of Growth: The Kachin Baptist Church of Burma.
• Dictionary of Baptists in America, Bill J. Leonard, editor
• Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists, Norman W. Cox, editor
• To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson, by Courtney Anderson, 1987
• Burmese Encyclopedia: Vol 12, p-444, printed in 1966.

Footnotes