Changes

*''Born: [[1811]]''

*''Born: [[1811]]''

*''Died: [[1870]]''

*''Died: [[1870]]''

Bernard Jean Bettelheim was a Protestant missionary who resided in [[Naha]] from [[1846]] to [[1854]]. He is credited with producing the first [[Okinawan language|Okinawan]]-English dictionary, and the first translation of the Bible into Okinawan. He appointed himself translator for [[Commodore Matthew Perry]] during Perry's time in the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]], and proved himself a nuisance to both Perry and the kingdom's officials; the latter regularly denied his requests to meet with them, and found his proselytizing efforts troublesome and obnoxious.

Bernard Jean Bettelheim was a Protestant missionary who resided in [[Naha]] from [[1846]] to [[1854]]. He is credited with producing the first [[Okinawan language|Okinawan]]-English dictionary, and the first translation of the Bible into Okinawan. He appointed himself translator for [[Commodore Matthew Perry]] during Perry's time in the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]], and proved himself a nuisance to both Perry and the kingdom's officials; the latter regularly denied his requests to meet with them, and found his proselytizing efforts troublesome and obnoxious.

The family arrived in Okinawa on [[1846]]/4/6 (May 1), along with the children's teacher and a Chinese assistant. Christianity was banned in the kingdom at that time, and though initially harbor authorities denied his requests to disembark, Bettelheim got their men drunk, and persuaded them to row him, his family, and their baggage, ashore. Once they arrived, it was too late in the day to send the Bettelheims back to the ''Starling'', and so they were permitted to stay one night in the Buddhist temple of [[Gokoku-ji (Okinawa)|Gokoku-ji]]. Afterwards, Bettelheim simply refused to leave. He forcibly took over the temple, throwing out the monks, along with Buddhist sculptures and anything else he deemed pagan, and proceeded to make the temple his home for the next seven years. His efforts were aided by Ryukyuan reluctance to invade his wife's privacy, and by Bettelheim's repeated threats to bring down the wrath of the British Royal Navy upon the kingdom should they give him too much trouble. It is said that he considered it a Christian victory to deny the locals the use of this pagan temple.

The family arrived in Okinawa on [[1846]]/4/6 (May 1), along with the children's teacher and a Chinese assistant. Christianity was banned in the kingdom at that time, and though initially harbor authorities denied his requests to disembark, Bettelheim got their men drunk, and persuaded them to row him, his family, and their baggage, ashore. Once they arrived, it was too late in the day to send the Bettelheims back to the ''Starling'', and so they were permitted to stay one night in the Buddhist temple of [[Gokoku-ji (Okinawa)|Gokoku-ji]]. Afterwards, Bettelheim simply refused to leave. He forcibly took over the temple, throwing out the monks, along with Buddhist sculptures and anything else he deemed pagan, and proceeded to make the temple his home for the next seven years. His efforts were aided by Ryukyuan reluctance to invade his wife's privacy, and by Bettelheim's repeated threats to bring down the wrath of the British Royal Navy upon the kingdom should they give him too much trouble. It is said that he considered it a Christian victory to deny the locals the use of this pagan temple.

During that time, he managed to keep the monks and other Ryukyuan authorities out of the temple, and engaged in various efforts to proselytize to the people of Naha, despite the government's efforts to stop him. He offered the authorities that he might teach English or sciences, or provide medical services, but was rebuffed, with the explanation that Chinese language, sciences, and medicine, were more than sufficient; his requests for tutors or teachers in the Chinese language and Chinese classics were granted, but he repeatedly tried to make use of these lessons to produce translations of the Bible, or to otherwise serve his missionary goals, resulting in the resignation or dismissal of his tutors.

During that time, he managed to keep the monks and other Ryukyuan authorities out of the temple, and engaged in various efforts to proselytize to the people of Naha, despite the government's efforts to stop him. He offered the authorities that he might teach English or sciences, or provide medical services, but was rebuffed, with the explanation that Chinese language, sciences, and medicine, were more than sufficient; his requests for tutors or teachers in the Chinese language and Chinese classics were granted, but he repeatedly tried to make use of these lessons to produce translations of the Bible, or to otherwise serve his missionary goals, resulting in the resignation or dismissal of his tutors. He had a third child while on the island, naming her Lucy Lewchew Bettelheim.

He would break into private homes to preach to the people, and would scatter pamphlets in the marketplaces and public streets, followed by agents of the government, who would gather them up and take them away. Being a medical doctor as well, he often also provided inoculations and did rounds, visiting locals' homes and providing medical assistance, for which he gained a degree of popularity among the locals; some took to calling him "Naminoue no megane" ("the eyeglasses of Naminoue").<ref>Gokoku-ji was located adjacent to [[Naminoue Shrine]], so he was associated with that area.</ref>

Bettelheim was seen as obnoxious and difficult, a source of trouble, and a financial burden. The royal government established a guard post outside Gokoku-ji, and assigned roughly one hundred men to watch the family, and to follow Bettelheim and monitor his activities. He would break into private homes to preach to the people, and would scatter pamphlets in the marketplaces and public streets, followed by Ryukyuan guards who gathered them up and took them away. Sometimes he preached loudly outside the gates to [[Shuri castle|the palace]], or in public squares, sometimes even interrupting public town meetings, to preach to the gathered crowd. On one occasion, on [[1849]]/11/23<ref>January 6, 1850.</ref>, he was thrown out of a private home and attacked in the streets by guards; he claims he lay in the street for two hours before his wife found him and brought him back to the temple. Since people were forbidden from selling goods to the Bettelheims, and since most were apprehensive to interact with them anyway, Bettelheim took to simply taking whatever he desired from street stalls and shops, and leaving what he estimated was a fair amount.

 

Of course, as a medical doctor, he did often provide inoculations and other forms of medical care, for which he gained some degree of popularity among the locals; some took to calling him "Naminoue no megane" ("the eyeglasses of Naminoue");<ref>Gokoku-ji was located adjacent to [[Naminoue Shrine]], so he was associated with that area.</ref> others called him ''in gan chô'' (doctor with dogs and spectacles), as he kept frightening dogs at the temple.

 

Bettelheim threatened on numerous occasions to contact the British authorities, but the Brits, for the most part, however, wanted to have nothing to do with him. The royal government petitioned Western crews on numerous occasions, including that of Commodore Perry, to take him away, but every time, Bettelheim, serving as interpreter, roundly refused to go; the foreign crews often refused responsibility for the man, not being British crews.

Bettelheim threatened on numerous occasions to contact the British authorities, but the Brits, for the most part, however, wanted to have nothing to do with him. The royal government petitioned Western crews on numerous occasions, including that of Commodore Perry, to take him away, but every time, Bettelheim, serving as interpreter, roundly refused to go; the foreign crews often refused responsibility for the man, not being British crews.