Exhibit on Tyndale on View in Capital

The life story of William Tyndale (1494-1536) and his persistence in creating the first printed English translation of the New Testament are told in an exhibit on display at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., through Sept. 6.

“By integrating history, theology and literature, this exhibition tells the history of English-language Bibles and the remarkable story of the life and work of English priest William Tyndale,” said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington.

While Tyndale, a Catholic priest, teacher and humanist, did not completely accomplish his goal of translating the entire Bible from Greek and Hebrew into everyday English, his work eventually reached the world through the King James (Authorized) Version of 1611 with little change.

Many common phrases were included from Tyndale’s vernacular version, including “the powers that be,” “the salt of the earth” and “eat, drink and be merry.”