Bible King James:  History of the King James Bible

For many people throughout the world, the Bible King James commissioned at the beginning of the seventeenth century is the truest translation of the Bible.  Of the most the many versions of the Bible in common use, the King James Bible is certainly the most poetic, and one of the easier versions to use for memorization.

In response to perceived errors in the Bishops’ Bible, King James I of  England convened the Hampton Court Council in 1604.  Their purpose was to address the errors that were found by the Puritans, a faction of the Church of England.  They were to come up with an authorized version of the Bible to be used by the Church of England for it’s readings.

Over the next 7 years a group of 47 Bible scholars worked at translating ancient texts.  Fot the New Testament, these scholars worked with Textus Receptus (Received Text), a series of Greek texts.  The Old Testament was translated from Masoretic Hebrew texts.  At the time, these were believed to be the most accurate and reliable texts in existence.

In 1611, the Church of England published the first version of the council’s translation of the Bible to be used by the Church of England.  Although it was never officially authorized by the Church, after its publication, no more issues of the Bishops’ Bible were published.

In 1662 the Bible King James commissioned replaced the Bishops’ Bible translations in the Book of Common Prayer.  When that happened the newer translation was considered to have been authorized by an Act of Parliament.  Within the Church of England, this translation is still referred to as the Authorized Bible.   In the United States it is called the King James Bible.  Despite the many translations that have followed, it is still the most used Bible in Christian Churches in the US.

In most parts of the world the King James Bible has passed out of copyright protection.  That means it is free to reproduce, and so it is shared freely both in print and electronic versions.  However, in England it is still under copyright protection, and only a handful of printers are authorized to reproduce it.

Many people feel that the King James Version is the most accurate of the Bibles in common use today.  Many of the versions of modern Bible that have followed over the nearly 400 years since it was first printed have merely been paraphrased versions of the King James Bible.

The Bible King James actions brought in to being is still the most influential book currently in existence.  Most people agree that it gives a true and complete translation of the ancient Greek and Hebrew texts.

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