NON-STOP BIBLE MARATHON

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12609, 20 November 1926, Page 11

NON-STOP BIBLE MARATHON

FIFTY-FIVE HOURS OF READING

A novel kind of salesmanship of the best selling book in the world—the Bible—has been tried out in America, the home of novelty, by a, group of Seventh Day Adventists. Taking it in turns of 15 minutes each, twenty-four members of the Rev. Robert Fries’s church, at Boston, read out loud the whole of the Bible, 773,693 words, in-54 hours and 47 minutes. “JN the beginning God created the * Heaven and the earth.” Nine o’clock strikes. Pastor Fries stands in the pulpit, the big church Bible open before him at the first dkapter of Genesis, anti solemnly begins what the Americans describe as the “Bible Marathon. 77 Grouped in front of him are f-he readers who are to follow—-mostly women. Other women will come in tbe afternoon. Night reading is mainly for the men. Behind are a knot of interested spectators and pressmen. The voice of Pastor Fries rolls on through the biblical account of the creation. Onwards through the first six chapters of Genesis lie reads. “This did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.” Tho pastor puts his finger on the final word, and a slight, grey-haired bespectacled woman, who lias rend the Bible through several times, takes his place and begins on the seventh chapter of Genesis. She reads Iter allotted fifteen minutes, then gives way to a third reader. and so on.

The reading of the first hook of Genesis is drawing to a close. A young man and girl enter the chapel

hesitatingly. They whisper to the pastor. Then they disappear into another room, and iu a few minutes come out, again, man and wife. The reading goes on uninterruptedly. Mid-day passes. Morning readers go out to lunch and return to relieve others. .Through the five books of the Pentateuch the readers sweep along, and the day gives way to night. As the night wears on some of the congregation fall asleep on their chairs, while their brethren continue the reading. At early morning between five and six o’clock tho readers encounter the hardest going of all. This is in First Chronicles. Could you pronounce trippingly off the tongue such names as Malialalee, Aschenaz or Hazarmaveth, Nebaioth, Aholibamah or Jerahmeel, Amminadab, Eleasnh or Ephratah, KirjthJearim, Zareathites or Netophathites?* By 12.35 the reading is half-way through; it continues all the rest of the day and night. At 3.47 the following morning all present join in reading the three final verses, the reading is completed, and : there is general handshaking, j Pastor Fries’s object was to show the j public how easy it is to read tho Bible through to the end. “Wo will show I you,” he said at the start of the j reading, “that you can read the Bihlo j completely in a year if you read only | ten minutes a day.”