THE OPENING OF CURTAINS

ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOKS EVER WRITTEN

After more than 400 years of usage, King James Bible has been one of the most influential books ever written in the english speaking world. Its publication made an incredible impact in the history of the English language. Perhaps people at the time did not value how worth was the book they were reading, but what we can be completely sure of is that they were not only reading and interpreting a wealthy piece of literature, but also a sample of a living country and a clearly identifiable culture that will be shaped thanks to King James Bible.
As Alyster points out in Chapter 1 of The King James Bible and the World It Made, the emergence of a new translated Bible arose as a need for people to have access to a sacred text in their mother tongue. Its supporters at the time found necessary the apparition of a book accessible to everyone. Myles Smith in the preface of the Bible called The Translators to the reader, uses some images to visualise and explain the need of a translation, at some point they recall it as The Opening of Windows

WYCLIFFE, TYNDALE, COVERDALE AND HENRY VIII

We shall have a general idea of the different translations of the Roman Catholic Bible that preceded King James Version into vulgar English. One of the first looks at the interest on the biblical doctrines that emerged during the XIVth century was John Wycliffe’s translation for the anglo-saxon readership in 1380.  In 1525 and 1535, William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale, respectively, published their own translatations. Nevertheless, in 1539, after having broken his relationship with Rome, King Henry VIII published his own version as an urgent need for the country. The main porpouse of the publication was to gain power as the new head of the Church of England.

BUT HENRY’S RUPTURE WITH ROME...

Henry’s rupture with Rome made the exiled puritans write their own translation in 1560 under the name of Geneva Bible. This publication included a more readable typeface and an easier division into chapters and verses. Its popularity reached England although there were some clerics who did not agree in some parts of the book.
Many decades later, King James I was conscious of the political and religious instability that England was suffering after the religious separation from Rome and Elizabeth I’s death. Therefore, he decided to start the creation of a newly improved version which covered as many tendencies as possible and was accessible for the common population. After the Hampton Court Conference in 1604, the announcement of the new translation was made public and the translation work started. The great project was lead by 47 scholars from different regions of the country who were members of the Church of England. The translation lasted approximately seven years and in 1611 the book was published under the name of King James Version, also known as the King James Bible or the Authorised Version.
When the Authorised Version appeared, its language was more accessible to common people since they no longer had to use Latin or unknown knowledge. King James Bible offered them an easy religious book that could be easily read and interpreted (Wikipedia).