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ELing 324 - History of the English Language: English Bible Translations Assignment

The English Bible Timeline

1384: Wycliffe produces a hand-written English translation of the complete Bible; All 80 Books; his translation was from the Latin Vulgate and not from Greek or Hebrew.

1455: Gutenberg invents the printing press; Books may now be mass-produced instead of individually hand-written. The first book ever printed is Gutenberg's Bible in Latin.

1525: William Tyndale's New Testament translated from the Greek MSS; This is the first New Testament to be printed in the English language on the printing press.  Tyndale did not finish translating the Old Testament.

1535: Myles Coverdale's Bible; The first complete Bible to be printed in the English Language (80 Books: Old Testament and New Testament including the Apocryphal books which are non-canonical).

1537: Matthews Bible; The second complete Bible to be printed in English. Done by John "Thomas Matthew" Rogers (80 Books).

1539: The "Great Bible" or "Cramner's Bible" printed; The first English language Bible to be authorized for public use (80 Books).

1560: The Geneva Bible Printed; The First English Language Bible to add numbered verses to each chapter (80 Books).

1568: The Bishops Bible Printed; The Bible of which the King James was a revision (80 Books, as well as a 20% cut and paste from the Geneva Bible).

1609: The Douay Old Testament is added to the Rheimes New Testament of 1582 (Catholic translation) making the first complete English Catholic Bible; It was translated from the Latin Vulgate (80 Books).

1609: The first printing of the King James Bible; originally with All 80 Books.

1611: The King James Bible revised and printed; all 80 Books. The Apocrypha was Officially Removed in 1885 Leaving Only 66 Books.

1782: Robert Aitken's Bible; The first English language Bible (a King James Version without Apocrypha) to be Printed in America.

1791: Isaac Collins and Isaiah Thomas respectively produce the first Family Bible and First Illustrated Bible printed in America. Both were King James Versions, with All 80 Books.

1808: Jane Aitken's Bible (Daughter of Robert Aitken); The First Bible to be printed by a Woman.

1833: Noah Webster's Bible; After Producing his Famous Dictionary, Webster Printed his Own Revision of the King James Bible.

1846: The Illuminated Bible; The most lavishly illustrated Bible printed in America. A King James Version, with All 80 Books.

1885: The "Revised Version" Bible; The First Major English Revision of the King James Bible.

1901: The "American Standard Version"; The First Major American Revision of the King James Bible.

1971: The "New American Standard Bible" (NASB) is Published as a "Modern and Accurate Word for Word English Translation" of the Bible from the Greek and Hebrew texts.

1973: The "New International Version" (NIV) is published as a "Modern and Accurate Phrase for Phrase English Translation" of the Bible. (However its accuracy is very much disputed in many places and is often found wanting as a reliable translation.  It is categorized as a dynamic equivalent.)

1982: The "New King James Version" (NKJV) is published as a "Modern English Version maintaining the original style of the King James."

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