KJV -- 400 Years And Counting

The LTL Blog cannot let 2011 pass without taking note of an important literary milestone—the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible (KJV), sometimes referred to as the Authorized Version (AV).  Work on this English translation of the Bible began in 1604 shortly after James VI of Scotland ascended the English throne as James I.  The work of translation was done by 47 scholars within the Church of England and was completed in 1611.  The KJV was not the first English translation of the Bible, nor was it the first sanctioned by the Church of England.  Nevertheless, its popularity for hundreds of years, particularly among Protestant Christians, as well as its effect on future Bible translations and its influence on the English language in general make it one of the most significant pieces of English literature.

Rice Library has many works on the Bible and Biblical topics in several of its collections.  For those interested in browsing these collections, the BS class is devoted to works related to the Jewish and Christian scriptures. Additionally, Rice library has dozens of works on the topic of the Bible as literature and at least three on the history of the King James Version, including:

Norton, David. King James Bible: A Short History from Tyndale to Today. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.  BS186.N66 2011

Nicolson, Adam. God’s Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible. New York: HarperCollins, 2003.  BS186 .N53 2003

McGrath, Alister E. In the Beginning: The Story of the King James Bible and How it Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture. New York: Anchor Books, 2002.  BS186 .M33 2002

For assistance with these or other library resources or services, stop by or contact the Rice Library reference desk (812/464-1907, 800/246-6173, libref@usi.edu).

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