The 1611 Project was an ambitious, enormous undertaking with results so impactful that it shaped the entire English-speaking culture worldwide.
New initiatives and projects have been popping up in recent times designed to shape public opinion on everything from societal to historical, often prompting heated discourse. It’s been happening since humanity could debate and present viewpoints in the public square. Whether seen as having good or ill intent, the vast majority of these initiatives pass into oblivion.
That is not the case with the 1611 Project – quite the opposite. The project started in 1604 and culminated with the publishing of the King James Version (KJV) Bible in 1611. KJV was the first English translation to be distributed widely. Over 400 years later, KJV remains the most preeminent English text, with billions of copies published. KJV is considered to be a landmark event in the history of Christianity.
1611 Project History
The English translation is widely available today, but that was not always the case. While some European countries made translations into their own languages, English translations were forbidden in England until the mid-1400s. Those who attempted English translations faced severe punishment, including burning at the stake.
In 1540, King Henry VIII of England authorized the first edition of the English language Bible, called the Great Bible. It was to be read aloud in church. Parishes throughout England were legally required to purchase a copy and place it for all to see and read.
In 1604, King James I of England appointed 54 scholar-translators who worked for seven years to complete the monumental project, which was dedicated in the king’s name. Due to the wealth of scholarly resources available to them and the partial translation by William Tyndale, KJV was more true to the original Bible languages and more scholarly than any that came before it. KJV is considered to be one of the most accurate English translations in existence.
Staying Power
The 1611 Project produced a language translation having a poetic, prose and verse quality that has an enduring appeal. “Better than any other Bible translation, the KJV conveys a sense of majesty and formality,” said Jeremy Howard, publisher with B&H Publishing. “The language is beautiful and mysterious to modern readers. The KJV is completely outside our experience. This may actually serve to sober the reader, inviting them into serious engagement with the text of Scripture.”
How well is KJV surviving in the tumults of today’s modern society? The Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture reports that KJV is preferred by over half, 55 percent, of American Bible readers. The second most read translation is the New International Version at a distant 19 percent. KJV endures even today, surpassing the 400-year mark. Its timeless message continues to resonate with Bible readers worldwide and, God willing, into the foreseeable future.
Learn more fascinating history on how KJV changed the world.
Want to read a 1611 version of KJV? Read KJV in its original archaic English form.