A Visual History of the King James Bible by donald L. Brake.

[baron]

Purchased this book a couple of day's ago. Bought it for $4.00. Skimming through it I learned that William Shakespeare helped translate the KJV (not really).

A theroy links Shakespeare with the translation of psalm 46. If you count forty-six words from the beginning you come to the word shake. if you count forty-six words from the end you get spear. Shakespeare was forty-six years old at the time the psalm was translated. (page 112-113).

There is no documentation that shakespeare had anything to do with the translation of the KJV.

But I guess you can find anything you want in the Bible.

 

[Marrow Man]

I saw that whole "Shakespeare" thing on an episode of "Ripley's Believe or Not" when I was young (back when Jack Palance was the host).

 

[DMcFadden]

In fairness to the author, he is a serious scholar and collector of rare Bibles. His book is informative, useful, and lavishly illustrated. Having read some of the more technical volumes by Oxford/Cambridge scholars, I found this book accessible and helpful.

And, no, I don't buy the Ps 46 - Shakespeare connection, the conspiracy theory of the Kennedy assassination, the communist plot behind fluoride, or that the Chicago Cubs will win a streak of World Series victories anytime soon.

 

[N. Eshelman]

Shakespeare was a Geneva Bible user, right? No real Geneva Bible user would have used that Anglican product in those days.

 

[baron]

I saw that whole "Shakespeare" thing on an episode of "Ripley's Believe or Not"

Amazon was offering that book yesterday free for the Kindle (Ripley's Believe It Or Not). I pre ordered a copy it might still be availiable.

Free Kindle Books and Tips | Maximize The Enjoyment of Your Kindle!

---------- Post added at 09:16 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:12 AM ----------

Shakespeare was a Geneva Bible user, right? No real Geneva Bible user would have used that Anglican product in those days.

According to the book he used The Bishops' Bible, Geneva Bible, Great Bible, and perhaps Douay-Rheims. He was buried in a Anglican cemerty.

 

[J. Dean]

In fairness to the author, he is a serious scholar and collector of rare Bibles. His book is informative, useful, and lavishly illustrated. Having read some of the more technical volumes by Oxford/Cambridge scholars, I found this book accessible and helpful.

And, no, I don't buy the Ps 46 - Shakespeare connection, the conspiracy theory of the Kennedy assassination, the communist plot behind fluoride, or that the Chicago Cubs will win a streak of World Series victories anytime soon.

Hey! Hey! HEEEEEY! Blasphemy, I say!!!

 

[baron]

In fairness to the author, he is a serious scholar and collector of rare Bibles

Yes he explains that in the opening. But as usual I start in the middle. I'm enjoying the book. Learning new things. Seem's it will be a most helpful book to me.

 

[Alan D. Strange]

Exactly right, Brother Dean, let's leave the Cubbies (next year is our year) out of this!

Dennis, I am shocked, shocked that you would malign the storied denizens of the Happy Confines in such a way!

Peace,
Alan

 

[py3ak]

In Biblical References in Shakespeare's Plays Naseeb Shaheen shows that most of Shakespeare's citations seem to reflect the Geneva Bible, with the next most common being the Bishop's Bible which Shakespeare would have heard in church. Rudyard Kipling has a little story, Proofs of Holy Writ, in which Shakespeare works on the rhythm and flow of the AV translation of Isaiah 61. It's a nice story to give you more appreciation for how excellently that reads, but otherwise is bosh.

It is odd that conspiracy theories abound around Shakespeare - is there anything similar for comparable authors like Dante or Aeschylus? I suppose the lack of biographical data in the case of Shakespeare provides more fertile territory for unusual hypotheses.