Thomas Nelson, the leading publisher of King James Version Bibles, will mark the 400th anniversary of the KJV with an exhibit of historic Bibles and artifacts at the National Religious Broadcasters Convention. “The Living Legacy of the Bible” will be on display Feb. 27 to March 1 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.
“We want to bring attention to the fact that the KJV is one of the most celebrated books of all time,” said Gary Davidson, senior v-p and Bible Group publisher for Thomas Nelson. “This translation made the Bible available to the common man.”
The exhibit, created and loaned by a private collector, includes a Dead Sea Scroll fragment; artifacts from the Old Testament era; cuneiform tablets; Bibles preceding the King James Version such as Tyndale and Coverdale Bibles; and a first edition of the 1611 King James Bible. Visitors will also see more modern editions such as a WWII Heart-Shield Bible and a rare Pony Express Bible. There are more than 40 pieces in the exhibit, including current Thomas Nelson commemorative Bibles.
The exhibit includes a six-minute sneak preview of the documentary “KJB: The Book that Changed the World: The Amazing Tale of the Birth of the King James Bible.” The film, by Britain’s Norman Stone, dramatizes the birth of the King James Bible and is narrated by actor John Rhys-Davies. It will be available commercially in April.
“The film covers King James as a boy through his authorizing the new version of the Bible, said Nelson’s Davidson. “King James I of England was really good at bringing people together for this task.”
“The Living Legacy of the Bible” exhibit, which the publisher will most likely bring to the International Christian Retailers Show in Atlanta in July, is one of many events and publications that are part of KJV400, Thomas Nelson’s 400-day celebration of the Bible’s publication that began Nov. 26, 2010, and ends Dec. 31, 2011. The house is considering creating a virtual tour of the exhibit.
“We want people to be sure to remember where our roots are, where the finest English translation of the Bible came from,” said Davidson. “The KJV has been the most accurate English translation of the Bible for 300-some years until modern translations began to appear.”
The exhibit will be open throughout the NRB conference. For more information on KJV400 visit www.KJV400Celebration.com.
Publishers also are marking the occasion with books on the historic Bible. Thomas Nelson has Majestie: The King Behind the King James Bible (2010); The Treasure of God’s Word (2010); and The Story of the Bible (2010).
Other publishers weigh in with A Visual History of the King James Bible (Baker Books, Feb.); The Legacy of the King James Bible (Crossway, Jan. ); The People’s Bible: The Remarkable History of the King James Version (Lion UK, 2010); and Verily, Verily: The KJV—400 Years of Influence and Beauty (Zondervan, Mar.).
