Cherokee Bible library
Sources & editorial standards
Be clear about what a source supports, what has been checked, and what is still growing.
The Scripture text
The reading room uses a digital transcription of the historical Cherokee New Testament associated with the 1860 edition. It contains 27 books, 260 chapters, and 7,957 verse records. The historical translation is described as public domain by the source catalog. The transcription is later, with reported punctuation adjustments; this library does not claim facsimile accuracy.
- Edition, public-domain status, and transcription notes
- Machine-readable Scripture source
- Digital project rights statement
Vocabulary and concordance
The word-study collection gives contextual English glosses for attested written forms. Each entry cites a passage. Entries described as word-list corroborated were also checked against a language word list hosted by Cherokee Nation. Passage-only glosses remain explicitly identified. The collection is a starting point, not an extensive reviewed dictionary. It has not yet had fluent-speaker review. Source corroboration and verse-attestation checks are not a guarantee of linguistic accuracy.
The concordance is generated from the Scripture text. It counts uninterrupted sequences of Cherokee characters and gives sample references. Spaces, punctuation, and hyphens separate counted forms. It includes inflectional forms and proper names; it neither groups dictionary headwords nor assigns English meanings automatically.
Romanization
Romanization is mechanically derived from syllabary characters and is provided only as a recognition aid. It omits tone, vowel length, and other distinctions needed for reliable pronunciation. Consult Cherokee Nation learning materials and Cherokee-speaking teachers.
Graded reading
Reading chapters use exact historical excerpts. Difficulty is graded by the task and amount of text, not by rewriting Cherokee. No newly composed Cherokee sentences are presented as verified language instruction.
Names, sources, and respect
Public editorial text avoids personal names and outside organizational branding. Biblical names and book titles remain intact in Scripture and references. Source links are retained so readers can verify the evidence. This independent library does not claim institutional endorsement.
Corrections
When documenting a possible error, record the book, chapter, verse, exact displayed wording, and the source supporting a correction. Keep transcription issues separate from differences between editions. A correction-submission route will be added when it can be reviewed reliably.
Translation errors and later digital edits
The Cherokee Nation 2017 Annual Report, page 7, describes a later New Testament project intended to correct translation errors in the 1860s version. That report does not identify particular verses or supply a verse-by-verse list of corrections. We therefore do not label individual historical readings as errors without specific supporting evidence.
The digital edition record separately documents electronic transliteration and punctuation edits. Those changes are not, by themselves, proof of errors in the original printed translation. This library preserves its historical source text and distinguishes translation history from later transcription and encoding work.