Gideons International

Gideons International is an evangelical Christian association for men founded in 1899 in Janesville, Wisconsin, whose primary activity is distributing free copies of the Bible worldwide. It distributes complete Bibles or portions thereof in over 100 languages, most widely known in lodging rooms, in addition to medical facilities, schools, military bases, as well as jails and prisons. The association takes its name from the Biblical figure Gideon depicted in Judges 6. In 1908, the Gideons began distributing free Bibles. The first Bibles were placed in rooms of the Superior Hotel in Superior, Montana. Members of The Gideons International currently average distribution of over 70 million Bibles annually. On average, more than two copies of the Bible are distributed per second through Gideons International. As of April 2015, Gideons International has distributed over 2.5 billion Bibles. The headquarters of Gideons International is in Nashville, Tennessee.