9. Production:The Early Printings Of The King James Bible
9
PRODUCTION:
THE EARLY PRINTINGS OF
THE KING JAMES BIBLE
The production of the King James Bible was a massive undertaking, both on account of the length of the work itself, and the considerable number of copies that were demanded of the first printing. While some have suggested that the full resources of the state were put at the disposal of the translators and printers, in order to ensure the quality of the resulting Bible, the reality is somewhat different. The new Bible would be a work of private enterprise throughout. The king might well have authorized a new translation of the Bible. He had, however, no intention of paying for its translation or production costs. The new translation would have to be funded by venture capitalists. To understand how the production of the work was financed, we must consider the nature of the “royal privilege” granted to Robert Barker, the king's printer.