Georgian Bible

The Georgian Bible represents one of the earliest Caucasian biblical translation traditions, developed for the Christian communities of Georgia and transmitted in the Georgian script and language. In scope it is a complete Christian Bible, rendered from Armenian, Greek, and Syriac source languages depending on the layer, and resting on ancient Christian textual traditions as its base text. Rather than a single act of translation, it is best categorized as a fresh translation and revision tradition, built up and reworked over time; its translation philosophy accordingly varied by textual layer. Among its distinctive features is that different layers show different textual affinities, a pattern that has long interested scholars of the early versions. Alongside the Armenian, Syriac, Coptic, and Latin versions, it is counted among the ancient translations that carry evidence for the early transmission of the biblical text, and it remains central to the Georgian Orthodox liturgical and literary heritage.