THE BEIRUT “PRESS” AND THE ARABIC BIBLE.
When the British Government publicly announced its intention to reconquer the Sudan by sending an expedition to Khartum, the Syria Mission foresaw a great increase in the demand for the Scriptures, as soon as the Sudan was open. The manager of the Press was at once directed to proceed to London in order to purchase a large and modern printing-machine, to be used exclusively for Bible work. Two years elapsed while the machine was being built, transported to Beirut, and set up ready for work. During those two years the English expedition had pushed victoriously up the Nile, and reopened the Sudan into the heart of Africa; and when the year 1900 opened, the Press had in hand orders from the Bible societies for over 40,000,000 pages of the Scriptures, more than can be printed and bound in a year and a half. Other orders have come, which will swell the output of 1900 beyond any year’s work in the history of the mission. These are very tangible proofs of the fact that the Bible is to-day the most sought-after and best-selling book in the Arabic-speaking world—one-eighth of the human race.—Missionary Review.