Modern Life

While the King James Bible is now one among many English Bibles in common use, it continues to play a major role in popular culture.

Examples of its influence range from the post-apocalyptic film The Book of Eli (2010), in which characters fight over a surviving copy, to the almost entirely scriptural words of the song Turn! Turn! Turn!, recorded by the Byrds in 1965, to the lyrics of the late reggae superstar Bob Marley. Millions of copies of the King James Bible are placed in hotel rooms by Gideons International, and political and civic leaders continue, on occasion, to quote from its language.

Explore these and other King James Bible connections through the sampling of images shown here. Or, select the link below to listen to one of the most widely heard readings from the King James Bible in human history, the Apollo 8 astronauts’ reading from Genesis while in lunar orbit.

Listen to the Apollo 8 crew reading from Genesis on Christmas Eve, 1968.