Did You Know? Charles Taze Russell published the first issue of the Jehovah’s Witness magazine The Watchtower on July 1,1879. Back then it was called “Zion’s Watch Tower and Herald of Christ’s Presence.” The first edition ran 6,000 copies. Today the public (as opposed to study) edition runs 42,000,000 copies, giving it the largest magazine circulation in the world. LEARN MORE.