Ernest Sutherland Bates (1879–1939)

Bates made several changes to make the bible more readable. First, it is in larger print than most standard bibles and the markings for chapter and verse have been deleted. Thus, at the outset, the pages are more reader-friendly, not presented in two columns of tiny print. Additionally, though Bates has used the King James version for most books, he has chosen the "Revised Version" for Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. Two other helpful changes have come to my attention as I've read: Much of the text about the building of temples and genealogies of various characters has been omitted, allowing a smoother and more meaningful transition from one portion of text to the next; and duplicate psalms have also been omitted. Each book is preceded with a short essay that notes authorship, placement in history, and sometimes social aspects of the period. I am finding these changes helpful, as I work my way through my first entire reading of the Old Testament. Why read it anyway? As the first book ever printed, it continues to influence literature in obvious and subtle ways alike. And the other obvious reason: When someone says, It's in the bible, I will at least have some notion of whether or not that's so, as well as the wherewithal to place it in context and make my own conclusions with regard to interpretation.… (más)