Sunday, November 22, 2015

What landmark book did King James I authorize for publication in 1611?

In 1611, King James I (also known as King James IV, as he was the king of both England and Scotland) authorized the publication of what is commonly referred to as the King James Bible.
Though this was a landmark publishing, it was not the first time that the publishing of an English translation of the Bible had been authorized by a monarch. The Great Bible (1535) and the Bishops' Bible (1568) were both commissioned by King Henry IV and his daughter Queen Elizabeth I respectively.
However, these two texts lack the notoriety of the King James Bible, which remains one of the most important books in world history, particularly in the English-speaking world. Despite the immense importance the text would take on throughout the next four hundred years, King James I himself was rather blasé about commissioning it. It was not seen as an act of great importance, especially since there were already Bible translations that appeared to suit people well enough. Surpassing those expectations, The King James Bible has been the most influential of all Bible translations, in part due to its literary merits, beauty, and powerful articulation.
This is not to say that the translation is perfect and without discrepancies. As stated before, there is some debate to this day as to how much creative liberty the tasked translators took with their work. After all, there were approximately fifty of them.

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