Sorry for the delay in posts - but here is the catch-up!
Alcala de Henares is a city located about 35 km northeast of Madrid (we saw an IKEA and an Aldi nearby). The city is famous for being the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, which is considered one of the most important works in Spanish literature. The city is home to the oldest university in Europe, the Universidad de Alcala, which was founded in 1499 (even older than Oxford). As with all universities, original mission was to teach Latin to aspiring priests. Over time, curriculum expanded to include the arts, sciences, history.
Spain translators and scholars needed a Bible in the original languages. Cisneros, spiritual advisor to Isabelle I aimed to have a Polyglot, or multilingual Bible, containing the best text in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, along with some portions in Aramaic. It took 10 yrs to compile and another 4 yrs to print. Cisneros entrusted the actual compilation to a team of scholars whom he organized at the newly founded University of Alcala de Henares, Spain. However, Cisneros intended this work "to revive the hitherto dormant study of the scriptures," yet he had no desire to make the Bible available to the public at large. Well, we see how Jehovah worked that out!
Queen Isabella I was a shrewd businesswoman. Fun fact: She first met with Christopher Columbus in Alcala. They eventually made this agreement: take all the prisoners with you and if you make it to the New World, bring me back gold. If you don’t make it, I didn’t lose much. This proved to be the catalyst that opened the door for many freedoms (including freedom of worship) that led to the greatest Bible translation and education work of all time!
Amazing to see how Jehovah can use the selfish interests of the kings of the earth to ensure his purpose is fulfilled!
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