April 12 Event Celebrates the Creation of the Maryland Bible Society Collection at Stevenson

Stevenson University’s Archives is marking the 400^th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible and a new relationship with the Maryland Bible Society (MBS) on Thursday, April 12 at 3 p.m. in the St. Paul Companies Pavilion on the University’s Greenspring campus.

The event, “Celebrating 400 Years of the King James Bible,” will introduce the newly established Maryland Bible Society Collection at Stevenson and discuss the history of one of the most significant English translations of The Bible, the King James Version. The community is invited to attend this free event, learn more about the history and impact of the King James translation, and see the 400-year-old first edition of the King James Bible that will be the signature piece in the new Maryland Bible Society Collection at Stevenson.

“The Maryland Bible Society Collection at Stevenson contains many historical documents as well as Bibles that are the property of the Society,” said Glenn Johnston, Stevenson University Archivist. “Stevenson will serve as the curator of the collection and work with the Society to make the collection’s contents available to scholars and researchers. Of course, one of the highlights of the collection is the rare ‘He’ edition of the first printing of the King James Bible, so called because of misprint in the Book of Ruth, of which there are believed to be 175 copies in existence worldwide.”

“MBS is pleased to be partnering with Stevenson University on such a momentous occasion,” Dave Moyer, Executive Director of the Maryland Bible Society, commented on the new partnership. “Our shared enthusiasm for the King James Bible and the entire collection fits well with the new vision of the Society—namely, igniting fresh passion for God’s Word. In celebrating the 400^th anniversary of the printing of the King James Bible, I am reminded of its very own words, ‘… the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God endures forever’.”

Founded in April 1810 in Baltimore, the Maryland Bible Society (MBS) followed in the footsteps of the Bible societies formed in the wake of the great missionary movements of the late 18^th century. Bible societies formed all over the Western world, distributing Bibles not only throughout their own countries but to the world beyond. MBS has reached out to the entire State of Maryland and also, in affiliation with the American Bible Society, participated in funding the construction Bible Houses in Mexico City, Mexico, Cristobal, Panama Canal Zone, and Beijing, China as well a funding the printing of Bibles in Nanjing, China. MBS also supported the translation of the Bible into Urdu. Within Maryland, the Society has increased it contacts with local churches and works with them to provide programs, seminars, and Bibles. MBS has started an online store which can be accessed at www.mdbible.org.