Quayle Bible Collection

The King James Bible after 1611

On display September 2011 through July 2012

The King James Bible of 2011 is different from that of 1611. A work of such proportions is complex and difficult to print perfectly. The original volumes contained a number of errors, some of which were corrected as it was printed.

In the 17th & 18th centuries, English scholars and printers concentrated on fixing those errors and correcting grammar, punctuation and spelling. This resulted in new and sometimes amusing errors, but generally improved it.

After the American Revolution, printers in the new world were no longer prohibited from publishing the King James Bible. Commercial printers and religious organizations stepped forward to fill the demand for bibles that was driven by the religious revivals of the early 19th century.

A Bible was often the only book a family had and was read and re-read and was used to teach children to read both at home and in school. Everyone was familiar with it and it seeped into common speech, public speaking, and literature.