A special event is taking place in Durban over the coming weekend, 19-21 August 2011.  This year the King James Bible (KJV) commemorates its 400th anniversary and the Bible Society of South Africa is celebrating this milestone with the rest of the English-speaking world.

The main celebration during the national festival is a Songs of Praise event which takes place at 19:00 in the Durban Christian Centre (Jesus Dome) on Friday, 19 August.  A massed choir of about 300 members will be conducted by the well-known Richard Cock, accompanied by Christopher Cockburn on organ and a brass ensemble.  Admission to the event is free, but you need a ticket.  For tickets and more information about the festival weekend, contact Letitia Timms on 031 207 4933.

On Saturday morning a 5 km Bible walk for the whole family takes place on the Durban beach front and on Sunday morning, various congregations in and around Durban will focus on the KJV during the service.

The KJV was published in 1611 and is still used and loved by many today.  The KJV found its way all around the world – with sailors sailing the seven seas and with missionaries to India and Africa.  It was also the Bible of the 1820 Settlers who came to South Africa.

The KJV has had an enormous influence on the development of the English language.  According to David Crystal, a linguist and expert on the development of the English language, nobody, not even Shakespeare, has done as much as this Bible to shape the modern idiom.  Many an idiom or saying, still in use today, was coined by the KJV.  “A fly in the ointment” (Ecclesiastes 10:1), “A wolf in sheep’s clothing” (Matthew 7:15), “By the skin of your teeth” (Job 19:20) to name but a few.

The KJV is still today the preferred Bible of many Christians.  Millions of these Bibles have been distributed throughout the world during the past 400 years and still it remains a best seller year after year.  Bible Societies throughout the world distribute about 600 000 copies of this Bible every year.  In South Africa the Bible Society distributed nearly 33 000 copies of this Bible last year and a further 38 000 King James Bibles were downloaded to cellphones free of charge as well.

~ 15 August 2011~