[dropcaps]C[/dropcaps]harles Taze Russell, was a Christian restorationist pastor and founder of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Russell departed from Presbyterianism and Congregationalism at the age of 20 because he could not reconcile the idea of an eternal hell, and began his search to understand the Bible. In his quest, Russell studied Hebrew and Greek and completed advanced calculations to predict God’s plan of salvation in the end times. Russell launched the Bible journal, The Watch Tower, in 1879.
Russell established the Watch Tower Bible Tract Society in 1884. Russel was a prolific writer and was a major contributor to this publishing business. His books were translated into 35 languages, with over 16 million copies distributed world wide.
The Facts
Name: Charles Taze Russell
Date of birth: February 16, 1852 | PA
Date of death: October 31, 1916 | TX