The Bible: The King James Version Of The Bible

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King James became one of the most influential people when he wrote the King James Version of the Bible in the 1600s. The content of the Bible is life changing because of its inherency and being the infallible word of God, but this translation has been monumental in its pervasive style of writing . The King James Version of the Bible has influenced authors in both content and writing style. The content of many famous and influential books in literature have much of its content from from the King James Version of the Bible. In Herman Melville’s book Moby Dick, biblical quotations and allusions are seen intermixed within. The opening line of his book reads “Call me Ishmael,” which can also be found in Genesis 16:11. The name “Ishmael” means “God hearth.” Even though this doesn’t have a direct connection to Melville’s novel, it is still a name take from the King James Bible. Another influential historical leader who quoted the KJV often was Abraham Lincoln. In his famous speech “The Gettysburg Address,” he directly quotes the Bible when he says “shall not perish from the earth.” His opening line of this speech is also taken from Psalm 90:10 which says, “ The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” William Faulkner was one of the last major writers from America to be influenced strongly by the King James Version. He pulled from this