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AV Translators originals???

Discussion in '2005 Archive' started by PASTOR MHG, Mar 28, 2005.

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  1. PASTOR MHG

    PASTOR MHG New Member

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    I have an interesting question. I am just seeking information...nothing is implied.

    Does anyone know if the AV Translators original manuscripts exist...and can they be viewed today?

    I am refering to the actual hand written translation of the 1611.

    Thanks for your help.
    Max
     
    #1 PASTOR MHG, Mar 28, 2005
  2. LarryN

    LarryN New Member

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    The originals of the King James Version are not known to exist today. It is not known with any certainty what became of them. Many theories abound; a widely held belief is that the KJV originals were destroyed in the great London fire of 1666, which burnt a large portion of the city.
     
    #2 LarryN, Mar 28, 2005
  3. Logos1560

    Logos1560 Well-Known Member
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    In my study and research thus far, I have only found mention that it is thought that the original edition of the 1611 prepared by the KJV translators themselves for the printers has been lost or destroyed, possibly in one of the big London fires. I don't think that it is known for sure whether that original edition was a printed copy of the Bishops' Bible with changes made, marked, and written by the KJV translators or an handwritten manuscript.

    As you may know, the KJV translators were given unbound copies of the 1602 edition of the Bishops' Bible to start from and on which to mark their changes. One of those 1602 editions with the annotations of the KJV translators themselves has been found, and it is perhaps the closest thing to the original edition that we have. It is not thought to be the original edition of the 1611 since some more changes or revisions were made after it. In addition, a manuscript thought to have been made by the Westminster Company (called Manuscript 98) has been found.
     
    #3 Logos1560, Mar 28, 2005
  4. Logos1560

    Logos1560 Well-Known Member
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    By the way, a portion of the 1602 Bishops' Bible with the annotations of the KJV translators
    has been published.

    It can be found in the book entitled
    THE COMING OF THE KING JAMES GOSPELS: A COLLATION OF THE TRANSLATORS' WORK-IN-PROGRESS
    by Ward S. Allen and Edward C. Jacobs and published by the University of Arkansas Press in 1995.
     
    #4 Logos1560, Mar 28, 2005
  5. robycop3

    robycop3 Well-Known Member
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    I heard somewhere that the original ms copy of the AV had been sent to the king for approval & that he read it, approved it & sent it back...but while stored until the next mail carriage rolled, it was destroyed in a fire...and that the king told the translators to go ahead & forward their next complete ms to printer Robt. Barker. I haven't heard what became of the copy Barker first printed from.

    Then again, this could be entirely wrong...This is THIRD-HAND info at best. Hoping it might jog someone's synapses!
     
    #5 robycop3, Mar 28, 2005
  6. PASTOR MHG

    PASTOR MHG New Member

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    Thanks for the input thus far. I appreciate it.

    Max
     
    #6 PASTOR MHG, Mar 28, 2005
  7. Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob Administrator
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    Many of my KJVonly friends (and yes, I call them friends) say that the ORIGINAL HANDWRITTEN MANUSCRIPTS of the AV1611 were perfect in every detail, but that printers made errors, spelling varied by each typesetter, words were added/deleted in attempt to get out the first PRINTED EDITION in 1611.

    Thus any error or conflict with later KJV is not the fault of the "perfect" 1611 (which was, conveniently, LOST in a fire lest we have a church built upon it as Catholics often did above any alledged holy site)
     
    #7 Dr. Bob, Mar 29, 2005
  8. Keith M

    Keith M New Member

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    It is probably good that we do not have the original AV manuscript, since someone somewhere would decide that manuscript should be worshipped. Same thing goes for the original autographs...
     
    #8 Keith M, Apr 6, 2005
  9. TCassidy

    TCassidy Late-Administator Emeritus
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    Although we don't know anything about the "original manuscripts" presumably written by the Translation committees (or even if they ever existed) but we can get some insight into the thinking of the Final Revision Committee which consisted of men from each of the regional translation committees and met in London at Stationer's Hall to decide on the final reading of the AV of 1611.

    We have that insight from the book "Translating For King James" by Ward Allen. The book contains a photo copy of the committee's notes, and a type set easier to read copy of their comments, which were discovered in the library of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. This hand made copy of John Bois's notes was apparently done by William Fulman who bequeathed them to Corpus Christi College upon his death in 1688.

    The notes do not cover the whole bible, nor even the whole New Testament, but do cover Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-2-3 John, Jude, and the Revelation.

    I don't know if it is still in print, but my copy was published by Vanderbilt University Press in 1969 and has an ISBN # of 0-8265-1246-1.

    Amazon.com and Books-A-Million both seem to have copies available.
     
    #9 TCassidy, Apr 6, 2005
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