Protestant Bible: A Journey Through Centuries

After the KJV was authorized, in 1611, it became the translation of choice for English-speaking protestants and remained so for centuries. In fact, although there have been more English translations since 1611, a huge debate still rages whether any other translation - including the New King James Version, which was produced in 1982 - is acceptable.

It is natural to think the first Bible printed in America would have been a copy of the KJV. It was not. The first American printing (in 1663) was a translation of the Bible for Native Americans, produced by John Eliot and printed in the Algonquin language.

Today the Bible has been translated into thousands of different languages. From precious, early non-Greek/Hebrew manuscripts like the Codex Argenteus (in Gothic) to the first book ever printed for mass circulation on a Gutenberg Printing Press (Martin Luther's German translation), the Bible remains the most-read, best-selling book of all time.

When people walk into bookstores looking for hot-sellers, they no longer see the Bible included on The New York Times list. It has been decades since it last appeared on that Top Ten slate. But when today's customers are long gone, and most contemporary best-sellers have been forgotten, the Bible will continue its journey into the coming centuries.