June 4, 2026
In a milestone for Arabic-speaking Christians in Israel and across the wider Levant, the Arab Israeli Bible Society (AIBS) has announced the completion of the New Testament in Colloquial Galilean Dialect, the everyday language used by many Arab communities across the Middle East. Now available in text, audio, and video formats, the translation represents years of dedicated work amidst significant regional challenges and uncertainty.
The project began in 2022 and was completed in March 2026, following four years of dedicated work by translators, biblical scholars, linguists, and media specialists. Despite a period marked by conflict, instability, and uncertainty, the team remained committed to helping people encounter the message of Christ in the language closest to their hearts.
Dina Katanacho, Director of the Arab Israeli Bible Society, has emphasised the unique significance of the project in the current context: “The Bible is the greatest peace manual that has ever existed. The translation was prioritised to help people hear the message of the Prince of Peace clearly during a season of deep social and political tension.”
One of the primary goals of the translation has been to reach younger generations. While Modern Standard Arabic remains an important cultural and literary language, many youth and children primarily communicate through their local dialect. By presenting Scripture in the language they use every day with family and friends, AIBS hopes to make God’s word more accessible, relatable, and transformative for a new generation of readers and listeners.
Recognising the changing ways people engage with content, the New Testament has been produced in three formats:
- Text: A careful, exegetically sound translation from the original Greek into the natural flow of the Galilean dialect.
- Audio: Professionally recorded Scripture readings that allow the message of Jesus to be heard with the warmth and familiarity of everyday conversation.
- Video: Visually engaging Scripture content designed for social media, mobile platforms, and a visual-first generation (https://www.facebook.com/aibible.org)
The impact of the translation is already being felt among local believers. Rula, a local believer, shared that passages of Scripture she had previously found difficult in formal Arabic became clear and deeply personal when heard in the Galilean dialect: “It felt like God was speaking directly to me, in the language I know best. [When I began listening], the translation and production felt so natural that I completely lost track of time. It wasn’t just a book; it was a long, beautiful afternoon spent in the presence of the Lord.”
Beyond serving approximately 2 million Arabic speakers in Israel, the translation is expected to resonate with communities across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine, as well as with millions in the global Arab diaspora. Through partnerships with major digital Scripture platforms, including the Digital Bible Library (DBL), YouVersion (The Bible App), Faith Comes by Hearing (FCBH), and MegaVoice, the New Testament in Colloquial Galilean Dialect will be accessible to users worldwide.
With the New Testament now complete, AIBS is looking toward the future. The next vision is to translate key narrative portions of the Old Testament, particularly those most frequently used in churches and Sunday schools with youth and children.
“The Old Testament is especially challenging in our context,” the translator explained. “Translating it into the heart language of our people will greatly help our youth understand the Word of God more deeply. Many of the stories they encounter in Sunday school and church will become more accessible and meaningful when they are presented in the language they naturally speak every day.”
For AIBS, the completion of the New Testament is more than a linguistic achievement. It is a testimony of perseverance, partnership, and faith, a reminder that even in times of conflict and uncertainty, God’s Word continues to reach people in the language of their hearts.
