Happy Hispanic Heritage Month: A Quechuan New Testament

One of the questions we often get at Museum of the Bible is why we have so many Bibles on display—don’t they all say the same thing? In actuality, there are countless versions of the sacred text, which vary by religious group, time period, and area of the world. To commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month, consider this Bible translated into one of the most prominent cultures and languages of South America: Quechua (fig. 1).

Figure 1: Front cover of Quechuan Bible. Image © Museum of the Bible, 2025. All rights reserved.

A key component of Museum of the Bible’s collection comes down to the language of a given object. The languages featured range from ancient to modern—Latin, Greek, Syriac, Hebrew, Armenian, English, French, and so on. Our illumiNations exhibit, on the floor dedicated to the history of the Bible, highlights translations of the Bible into languages from all over the world, including Quechua (fig. 2), which became the second official language in Peru in 1969, and which has approximately 45 dialects. In addition to Peru, the language is spoken in various Indigenous communities in Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina, totaling approximately 8–10 million speakers.

Figure 2: Inside cover with notes. Image © Museum of the Bible, 2025. All rights reserved.

This translation of the New Testament is written in Lambayeque Quechua. This micro-dialect is typically found in districts in northwestern Peru that were home to multiple ancient Indigenous communities prior to the Incan empire, which came to power in the thirteenth century. Specifically, it is spoken in the Piura region, the area where my family is from. Following the conquests and colonization initiated by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro, the Viceroyalty of Peru was established in 1572, overwhelming the Indigenous communities with Spanish culture, including Christianity. The population quickly adopted the Christian faith and has remained predominantly Catholic ever since. This New Testament is a fascinating example of the blend of Indigenous and European influences that are quintessential to modern Latin American identities. Take a look at these Quechuan passages and artworks of the universally beloved Parable of the Good Samaritan (figs. 3–5).

Hispanic Heritage Month was initially commemorated as Hispanic Heritage Week by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968, remaining so until 1988. President George H. W. Bush expanded it into Hispanic Heritage Month in 1989, and it continues to be a time of celebration of Latin American and Hispanic culture, history, and pride. This New Testament provides a window into all three.

¡El museo de la Biblia desea un Feliz Mes de la Herencia Hispana a todos!

Published September 25, 2025