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This is the Gnomicon, the reading group blog for the big works. You want knowledge, you want the "Great Books", you want Gnomicon. Remember the good day in English class, where you talked about a book and ideas got formed and developed collaboratively, and you left exhilirated and feeling like you understood the book, the class, the world, and yourself better than before? Gnomicon is for people who want that.
The first book: the Bible. We're going to read it, start to finish. (You're allowed to skip the boring parts). You got something to say about it? Put it up here.
Gnomicon may develop ground rules, to keep everyone happier. Probably, this will come about because someone gets upset. Until that happens, anything goes.
still standing
1 year ago
3 comments:
Hey, what version are we reading? And is it available online?
King James Version? One is available here: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/kjv.browse.html
Bartleby has a searchable version:
http://www.bartleby.com/108/
A bit on the history of the King James Version (stolen from Wikipedia):
The King James Version (KJV) is an English translation of the Holy Bible, commissioned for the benefit of the Church of England at the behest of King James I of England. First published in 1611, it has had a profound impact not only on most English translations that have followed it, but also on English literature as a whole. The works of famous authors such as John Bunyan, John Milton, Herman Melville, John Dryden, and William Wordsworth are replete with inspiration apparently derived from the King James Version. Bibles from the English Revised Version to the New American Standard Bible, the Revised Standard Version, and the New King James Version are revisions of its text; it has deeply influenced Bibles such as the New International Version that do not claim to be revisions of its text.
Though often referred to as the Authorised Version (AV) or the Authorised Standard Version (ASV), it was never officially sanctioned by the English monarchy or the clerical hierarchy of the Church of England. It is no longer in copyright in most parts of the world but is under perpetual Crown copyright in the United Kingdom. The King James Version, despite its age, is largely comprehensible to the average reader today. It is considered to be an instrumental founding block of modern English, and remains one of the most widely-read literary works from its time.
Another bit on the history of this version of the Bible:
http://www.av1611.org/kjv/kjvhist.html
A bit on the biography of the author of the previous article:
Laurence M. Vance, Ph.D., is a teacher, author, publisher, freelance writer, and a book dealer. He holds degrees in history, theology, accounting, and economics. The author of six books and two collections of essays, he regularly contributes articles and book reviews to both secular and religious periodicals. Dr. Vance is a member of the Society of Bible Literature, the Grace Evangelical Society, the International Society of Bible Collectors, and the Ludwig von Mises Institute.
I have Mom's Bible, which I _think_ is a King James version. I've also just bought Testament: the Bible Odyssey, edited by Philip Law. This is essentially an edited version, without the long genealogies, removing repeated sections, and rearranging the four gospels into one continuous narrative. It doesn't paraphrase, but uses the exact words from the Revised English Bible.
I think it's perfectly ok to read whatever version you like, and if we uncover significant or interesting differences, we can comment on them too.
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