The 400th Anniversary Of The King James Version Of The Holy Bible

2011 marks the 400th Anniversary of the King James Version of the Holy Bible. No one is exactly sure when the Bible was actually published and sold, but from what I have read, scholars and academics have mostly agreed that the day was on May 2, 1611 and certainly some time this week.

Various events have taken place in Britain where, in one example, people have read the King James Bible from start to finish, taking turns every thirty or so minutes, for sixty-nine hours straight (another marathon reading was estimated to take ninety-six hours)!

When I realized 2011 marked the 400th Birthday of the King James Text, I knew I had to commemorate the day. I own two leaves (aka pages) from an original King James Bible from 1611. I acquired them in December of 1999 and thought it appropriate to bring them out for this occasion.

Here is an actual leaf (aka page) from what was an incomplete or otherwise fragmentary First Edition of a King James Bible from 1611 (The Book Of Joshua Chapters 22 and 23 ... the type setting back then reveals "Iofhua"):


Here is a reproduction title page that came with one of the leaves I purchased:


I will provide additional pictures shortly.