Livelihoods & Education
Bible Distribution in Iraq
- Location Iraq
- Timeframe 2021 - Ongoing
- People Aramaic speaking Christian communities , Churches , Families
- Project Goal $116,000
Livelihoods & Education
Iraq’s Christian community has endured decades of persecution, displacement, and cultural erosion, drastically reducing their numbers from 1.5 million before 2003 to fewer than 200,000 today.
The spoken Aramaic language — once flourishing — has been neglected in education and under threat from conflict and displacement. Prior to this project, most families did not have access to a Bible in their own language. Traditional versions were difficult to read due to complex script and absence of vowels, limiting personal engagement with Scripture.
There was an urgent need for a readable, modern version of the Bible to strengthen faith, educate children, and preserve linguistic heritage.
This project provides modernized Aramaic Bibles, printed with improved formatting and readability, including vowels and simplified script.
The Bibles are distributed through trusted church networks across the Syriac-Orthodox and Syriac-Catholic dioceses in Iraq. Dedicated local and international volunteers ensure smooth transportation and direct distribution to families, churches, language schools, and church libraries.
By placing Bibles directly into the hands of families, the project creates opportunities for daily Scripture reading, family devotion, and community learning, revitalizing spiritual life at the grassroots level.
This initiative builds on a broader, ongoing strategy to preserve the Christian faith and cultural identity in Iraq. To date, through this multi-year initiative, Shai Fund has printed and distributed a total of 12,200 Bibles across Iraq in Western Aramaic, Chaldean, and Assyrian languages.
In June 2025, Iraqi Monsignor Ghazwan Yousif Baho presented a Chaldean Bible to Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, symbolizing the resilience of Iraq’s Aramaic-speaking Christian community and Shai Fund’s continued commitment to preserving faith and language in the region.
In 2024, the Iraq Modern Aramaic Bibles Project brought Scripture into the homes of persecuted Christians across Iraq by printing and distributing 2,200 modernized Aramaic Bibles. These Bibles were delivered to 11.000 individuals in Christain communities across regions including Basra, Baghdad, Kirkuk, Suleymaniye, the Nineveh Plains, and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
In 2022–2023, Shai Fund successfully printed and distributed 5,000 Bibles in the Chaldean dialect and 5,000 in the Assyrian dialect. Recognizing the unique needs of Western Aramaic speakers, this project expanded the effort to the Syriac-Orthodox and Syriac-Catholic communities. For many, it was the first time they could read the Bible in their own language at home.
By engaging local churches and leaders, the project is building trust and ensured sustainable impact, creating a replicable model for future initiatives. Plans are already underway to expand the project by printing additional Bibles and developing a digital version for Aramaic-speaking diaspora communities worldwide.
This initiative strengthens faith, preserves cultural heritage, and supports Christians who continue to face hardship and marginalization in their homeland. The project plans to deliver thousands of Bibles to Aramaic speaking, Christian communities in Iraq. These are more than books; each Bible supports the rebuilding of communities and the preservation of a community's ancient language.
Through these efforts, we are supporting Christian communities more widely across these areas:
Each Bible costs $10 to print and deliver, meaning every gift helps place Scripture directly into the hands of those preserving the language of Jesus in their homes and communities. By equipping families with a Bible in their own spoken Aramaic, this project strengthens faith, sustains heritage, and preserves one of the world’s oldest Christian languages.
You can make a significant impact by gifting a:
Each donation plays a crucial role in making these Bibles accessible to those facing persecution, providing a source of strength, continuity, and spiritual guidance in challenging times. You have the opportunity to directly contribute to preserving the faith and cultural heritage of Christian communities in Iraq through your support of this vital initiative.