Nicholas Chapman - Benjamin Franklin: Printing for Arab Christians in Early Eighteenth Century

for 1 hour
St Bartholomew the Great
West Smithfield City of London, EC1A 9DS, United Kingdom

When the young Benjamin Franklin first set foot in London on Christmas Eve 1724 he entered and immediately embraced a cosmopolitan world with links to many corners of the world. The printing house of Samuel Palmer (Lady Chapel at Saint Bartholomew the Great Church) where he found work the following month was at that time engaged in a project to print both a New Testament and Psalter in Arabic for the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (based in Damascus, Syria) together with the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate in Cairo and the Nestorian in Ninevah.

Nicholas Chapman will explore the background and outworking of this project and what is known of Franklin's involvement in it. He will explore Franklin's interest in the Orthodox Christian East during the remainder of his long life and how his involvement as a young man in Arabic printing would impact at a much later date on the appearance of the first printed copies of the US Declaration of Independence.

To attend the talk, purchase tickets using the link. Ticket cost: £11.55

More info

St Bartholomew the Great

London's oldest parish church, with an excellent liturgy, a professional choir, and a vibrant congregation drawn from across London. Join us in person or online!

At the heart of the Smithfield area, with its Hospital, pubs, restaurants, and market, is a church built when Henry I, son of William the Conqueror, was King of England. It survived the Great Fire of 1666 and the bombs dropped in Zeppelin raids in World War I and during the Blitz in World War II.

Today the Church has a reputation not only for wonderful Romanesque architecture, but also for traditional formal worship, marvellous music and intelligent preaching. It has also appeared in a series of award-winning films including Four Weddings and a Funeral, Shakespeare in Love, The End of the Affair, Amazing Grace, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and The Other Boleyn Girl. It has also appeared in a number of television programmes including Madame Bovary, The Real Sherlock Holmes, Spooks, and The League of Gentlemen Christmas Special.

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Marcus Walker

Great St Bartholomew Parish Office
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Cloth Fair
London

EC1A 7JQ
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+44 (0)20 7600 0440

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Nicholas Chapman - Benjamin Franklin: Printing for Arab Christians in Early Eighteenth Century

for 1 hour
St Bartholomew the Great
West Smithfield City of London, EC1A 9DS, United Kingdom

When the young Benjamin Franklin first set foot in London on Christmas Eve 1724 he entered and immediately embraced a cosmopolitan world with links to many corners of the world. The printing house of Samuel Palmer (Lady Chapel at Saint Bartholomew the Great Church) where he found work the following month was at that time engaged in a project to print both a New Testament and Psalter in Arabic for the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch (based in Damascus, Syria) together with the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate in Cairo and the Nestorian in Ninevah.

Nicholas Chapman will explore the background and outworking of this project and what is known of Franklin's involvement in it. He will explore Franklin's interest in the Orthodox Christian East during the remainder of his long life and how his involvement as a young man in Arabic printing would impact at a much later date on the appearance of the first printed copies of the US Declaration of Independence.

To attend the talk, purchase tickets using the link. Ticket cost: £11.55

More info

Safeguarding

The parish of Great St Bartholomew is committed to the safeguarding of children, young people and adults. We follow the House of Bishops guidance and policies and have our own Parish Safeguarding Officer(s), PSOs. The Diocese of London’s safeguarding pages contain vital links and information including contacts for the Diocesan Safeguarding Advisor (DSA) who advise our PSOs. If you are concerned that a child or adult has been harmed or may be at risk of harm please contact the DSA. If you have immediate concerns about the safety of someone, please contact the police and your local authority Children or Adults Services.

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St Bartholomew the Great Charity No. 1163024