King's hosts Bible exhibition
Posted on 13/07/2011
Second folio edition of the King James Bible
King’s College London is holding an exhibition of historic printed Bibles to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible.
The exhibition, ‘To make a good one better: translating the Bible’, draws on the College’s world class collection of printed Bibles and explores the stories behind their creation, authorship and the many struggles and setbacks faced by their translators. The name of the exhibition emphasises the fact that each translation of the Bible, including the King James edition, is built upon previous versions.
It is estimated that the Bible has been translated into over 2,000 languages and dialects, with some translations having a profound effect on the languages they were translated into, as with the King James Bible. Translated works could act as a force for political and religious change, such as the Reformation Bibles on display at the exhibition, and translators often put themselves in great danger in undertaking their work.
The exhibition also demonstrates the part that King’s College London continues to play in the advancement of Biblical studies.
Bibles on display include a second folio edition of the King James Bible from 1613; the only recorded copy of the first edition of Genesis to be printed in North America, the so called ‘Algonquin Genesis’ from 1655; the first Bible printed in a language of the Indian sub-continent (in 1715) and a rare Low German Luther Bible from 1578.
A volume of the Saint John’s Bible, a 21st century work of fine printing and illumination, has been lent to the College by the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and is also on display.
Many of the other items on display are taken from the Foyle Special Collections Library’s Marsden Collection, the library of linguistic scholar William Marsden (1754-1836), who assembled a world-class collection of printed Bibles.
Katie Sambrook, Special Collections Librarian, who curated the exhibition, said: “We are very pleased to be able to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible in this way, especially as King’s has a long and continuing history of biblical interpretation.
The exhibition is very special as it’s a chance for the public to see some of the most important printed Bibles in history, and to explore their history and significance.”
The exhibition is running until 20th September 2011, and is held in the Weston Room of the Maughan Library at King’s. It is open to the public from 09:30 to 17:00, Monday to Saturday until 31st July, and 09:30 to 17:00, Monday to Friday from 1st August.
For media enquiries please contact Anna Mitchell, Press Officer at King’s College London on 0207 848 3092 or at anna.i.mitchell@kcl.ac.uk.
For more information on the exhibition please see: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/library/archivespec/exhibitions/SpecialCollPhysical.aspx