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Текст №1

In 1604, King James I of England authorized a committee of about 50 scholars to prepare a revision of earlier English translation of the Bible. The new version appeared in 1611 and became known as the Authorized, or King James Version. The beauty of the translation established the Authorized Version as one of the great treasures of the English language.

No important English translations of the Bible appeared for more than 200 years after the publication of the Authorized Version. During this time, the Authorized Version was the most widely used translation in the English-speaking world.

By the mid 1800’s, scholars and religious leaders were calling for fresh translation of the Bible. Scholars had more accurate knowledge of the original Hebrew and Greek texts and uncovered many errors in the texts used by the Authorized revisers. In addition, the English language had changed greatly over the years. Many words in King James Version no longer had the same meaning.

In 1870, the Church of England decided to revise the Authorized Version. The New Testament appeared in 1881, the Old Testament in 1885, and the Apocrypha in 1895. But the early popularity of the translation, called the Revised Version, did not last. Most individuals and churches still preferred the Authorized Version.

Текст 2

Eastern Orthodox Churches are the major Christian churches in Greece, Russia, Eastern Europe, and western Asia. As a federation of churches, they are united by common beliefs and traditions. Individually, they are usually called by their national names, such as the Russian Orthodox Church or the Greek Orthodox Church. About 170 million people belong to the Eastern Orthodox Churches.

Eastern Orthodox beliefs are based on the Bible and on holy traditions (doctrines worked out mostly during early centuries of Christianity).

A turning point in the history of Christianity came in 313 when Roman Emperor Constantine the Great granted Christians freedom to practice their religion. He called the First Nicene Council in 325. This was the first of seven ecumenical councils held between 325 and 787. The councils established church organization and doctrine. In 330, Constantine moved his capital from Rome to a new city which he named in his honour, Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). The city became the center of eastern Christendom.

The year 1054 is generally considered the date of the schism (split) between the Eastern and Western churches.