The World's Slowest Selling Bible

The world's slowest selling Bible and possibly the world's slowest selling legitimately published book is the Coptic translation of the Bible published in 1791 by David Wilkins (1685 - 1745). The book has never sold more than two copies a year.

Wilkins was a Prussian orientalist born as David Wilke (or David Wilkius) in what is now Lithuania. As an adult he lived and worked in England as an Anglican priest, librarian, translator, and university professor. He was a specialist in Arabic, Coptic, Hebrew, Armenian, Chaldaic, and Anglo-Saxon.

Copts in Egypt Worry About the Future

The Copts in Egypt represent the major and ancient (The Coptic Orthodox Church was founded in 42 AD/CE in Alexandria) form of Christianity in the country.  With the current unrest in Egypt, many Copts have become quite uneasy about their future.  Whatever else he may be, President Hosni Mubarak has been tolerant of the ten percent of Egyptians who are Copts.  Pope Shenouda III has publicly expressed support for Mr. Mubarak.

Dr. Viviane Ghaly, a Coptic physician in Alexandria was quoted in The Wall Street Journal on 1 February, 2011: "We complain about his government too, but we got used to Mubarak and his ways.  We don't know what would come next."

Coptic is a continuation of the ancient Egyptian language.  The word "copt" is derived from the Greek word for the country, "agyptos" (Αίγυπτος).  Below is a Coptic hymn, sung by Ibrahim Ayad , the lead deacon in Cairo's Coptic Cathedral and a respected authority on coptic hymns.  The hymn is Epouro O King of Peace.

Martyrs in Baghdad

On 31 October 2010, members of al-Qaeda in Iraq ran into the Church of our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad taking the worshippers hostage.  Armed with assault rifles, hand grenades, and suicide vests, the attackers said their action was in retaliation for the “treatment of Muslim women in Egypt” where they claimed that Muslim women were being held captive in Coptic churches,  The terrorists called the Syro-Catholic/Chaldean church a “filthy den of polytheism” and styled themselves “lions of montheism.”  Christian and Muslim leaders have condemned the attack as barbaric.

During a rescue attempt by Iraqi forces, a severe gun battle erupted in which fifty-eight people were killed (including two priests and ten policemen) and 75 were wounded.  Five of the terrorists were captured.

On 9 November 2010, the church held it's first service after the attack.   There were no pews so everyone stood around the hundreds of candles which had been placed to form a large cross.  The service was led by Father Mukhlas Habash with bullet holes, bomb burns, and blood spatters still on the walls.

I believe that the walls should never be cleaned or repaired.  This is the blood of martyrs.