Tewolde-Medhin Gebre-Medhin
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Täwäldä-Mädhin Gäbrä-Mädhin (1860 - 1930) was a pastor, educator and translator, originally from the town of S'eä’azäga, Eritrea
in the Horn of Africa
. He was ordained as a deacon in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in 1872. (By local custom, he is properly referred to as "Täwäldä-Mädhin".) From four generations of priests, Täwäldä-Mädhin's father and uncle were Orthodox priests, but both they and young Täwäldä-Mädhin were greatly changed after contact with a Swedish missionary. In adulthood, Täwäldä-Mädhin maintained that he wanted to work for reform within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (Arén 1978:182, 340n), though he had been persecuted for being Evangelical.
Beginning in 1874, Täwäldä-Mädhin was educated at Gäläb at a school run by the Swedish Evangelical Mission
. There, he and Dawit Amanuel
(1862-1944) worked together to translate the New Testament into the Tigre language
. Before it was completed, he was sent to Sweden for further study in 1883-1887, where he studied the Bible and Biblical languages, subjects that were later vital for his work in translation. He prepared a Tigre spelling book and a reading book that were published in 1889; that same year the Swedish Mission Press published the first installment of Tewolde-Medhin's translation, the Gospel of Mark
(Ullendorff, 1968: 71). He was ordained in Asmara by A. Kolmodin, the first evangelical Eritrean to be ordained on the continent (1909). The entire New Testament in Tigre was published in 1902, a revised version later published in 1934 adopted spelling rules Täwäldä-Mädhin had advocated all along. He later worked with Täwäldä-Mädhin Gäbru (1869-1960) and Dr. Karl Winqvist on the translation of the New Testament into Tigrinya, which was published in 1909, later working on the Old Testament, as well. In addition to his educational and translation work, he also served the churches as a pastor, teacher, and leader, becoming widely known and respected in Eritrea
.
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
in the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
. He was ordained as a deacon in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in 1872. (By local custom, he is properly referred to as "Täwäldä-Mädhin".) From four generations of priests, Täwäldä-Mädhin's father and uncle were Orthodox priests, but both they and young Täwäldä-Mädhin were greatly changed after contact with a Swedish missionary. In adulthood, Täwäldä-Mädhin maintained that he wanted to work for reform within the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (Arén 1978:182, 340n), though he had been persecuted for being Evangelical.
Beginning in 1874, Täwäldä-Mädhin was educated at Gäläb at a school run by the Swedish Evangelical Mission
Swedish Evangelical Mission
The Swedish Evangelical Mission is an independent organisation within the Church of Sweden. SEM cooperates with independent churches, Christian councils and other partners in Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Malawi, the Sudan and Tanzania...
. There, he and Dawit Amanuel
Dawit Amanuel
Dawit Amanuel is noted in Ethiopian and Eritrean church history as being the main translator of the New Testament in the Tigre language, published in 1902...
(1862-1944) worked together to translate the New Testament into the Tigre language
Tigre language
For other uses please see Tigre Tigre is a Semitic language, which, along with Tigrinya, is believed to be one of direct descendants of the extinct Ge'ez language...
. Before it was completed, he was sent to Sweden for further study in 1883-1887, where he studied the Bible and Biblical languages, subjects that were later vital for his work in translation. He prepared a Tigre spelling book and a reading book that were published in 1889; that same year the Swedish Mission Press published the first installment of Tewolde-Medhin's translation, the Gospel of Mark
Gospel of Mark
The Gospel According to Mark , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Mark or simply Mark, is the second book of the New Testament. This canonical account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the three synoptic gospels. It was thought to be an epitome, which accounts for its place as the second...
(Ullendorff, 1968: 71). He was ordained in Asmara by A. Kolmodin, the first evangelical Eritrean to be ordained on the continent (1909). The entire New Testament in Tigre was published in 1902, a revised version later published in 1934 adopted spelling rules Täwäldä-Mädhin had advocated all along. He later worked with Täwäldä-Mädhin Gäbru (1869-1960) and Dr. Karl Winqvist on the translation of the New Testament into Tigrinya, which was published in 1909, later working on the Old Testament, as well. In addition to his educational and translation work, he also served the churches as a pastor, teacher, and leader, becoming widely known and respected in Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
.