▁tongue , ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁Foreign ▁Bible ▁Society ▁began ▁to ▁make ▁plans ▁for ▁the ▁translation , ▁printing , ▁and ▁distribution ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Testament ▁in ▁Alban ian . ▁So on ▁Alexander ▁Thom son , ▁a ▁Scottish ▁mission ary , ▁joined ▁the ▁Society ▁and ▁visited ▁Alban ia ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 3 . ▁Kost and in ▁Krist of or id hi ▁also ▁joined ▁the ▁Society ▁to ▁translate ▁the ▁Script ures ▁in ▁both ▁Geg ▁and ▁T os k ▁dialect s . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁the ▁Society ' s ▁workers ▁tra ve led ▁throughout ▁Alban ia ▁distrib uting ▁B ibles , ▁under ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁G jer as im ▁Q iri azi ▁who ▁converted , ▁pre ached ▁the ▁G ospel ▁in ▁Kor ça , ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁" E v angel ical ▁Bro ther hood ". ▁Q iri azi ▁sought ▁official ▁government ▁recognition ▁for ▁the ▁Alban ian ▁Evangel ical ▁Church ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 , ▁a ▁purs uit ▁which ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁ful filled ▁until ▁ 1 0 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁by ▁Law ▁No . ▁ 1 0 3 9 4 . ▁▁ ▁J uda ism ▁▁ ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Jews ▁in ▁Alban ia ▁dates ▁back ▁at ▁least ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁d ating ▁back ▁to ▁ 7 0 ▁CE . ▁Alban ian ▁Jews , ▁pre domin antly ▁Se ph ardi , ▁have ▁only ▁constit uted ▁a ▁very ▁small ▁percentage ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁in ▁modern ▁times ▁.