1611 and English Publications of the Bible

1611 marks the publication of the illustrious King James Bible. This would grow to become the most widely distributed version of the Bible in the English language. It is important to note, however, this was not the first publication of the Bible in English. During the 14th century, the collection of religious texts we now refer to as the Bible was translated into a controversial English language document know as the Wycliffe Bible. Nevertheless, this volume was not nearly as popular as James’ 17th century edition. The King James Bible was constructed under King James I with the help of numerous Jewish experts, all of whom resided outside the nation of England. This was a result of the unfortunate fact that Jews residing in England during the 17th century were regarded as evil by the gentile population. The King James Bible was also published under the Church of England during a period when England was predominantly Protestant, thus establishing the version as a Protestant document not affiliated with the Pope. This is an important fact to keep in mind, since throughout the 17th century, England’s official religion constantly converted back and forth between Protestantism and Catholicism. Additionally, keep in mind Shakespeare most likely did not use this version of the Bible in his play writing, considering he died only five years after its publication. It is widely believed, but not entirely proven, that Shakespeare used the Geneva Bible, published roughly around 1557, as his biblical reference.

Chris Shelton
Aaron Gorelik, Section: 1C