coming up, the king james version of the bible -- its 400 years of influence on language, culture, and faith. >> it is the edition of the book. and an american jew reports on the last arab village near jerusalem not destroyed or occupied by the israelis. the argument over its future. major funding for "religion

and ethics newsweekly" sf provided by the lily eni doment, an indianapolis based private family foundation dedicated to its founders' interest in religion, community development, and education. additional funding by mutual of america, designing customized individual and group retirement products. that's why we're your retirement company. and the corporation for public broadcasting. welcome. i'm bob abernathy. it's good to have you with us. this has been holy week for the world's more than 2 billion christians. eastern orthodox and western christians observed the season at the same time this year. more often than not, easter or pascha, for the eastern orthodox falls on different dates for the two traditions because of their differing calendars. in south america, worshippers marked the start of holy week with colorful parades honoring catholic saints. at maundy thursday services, clergy around the world performed the traditional

washing of the feet for fellow clergy and congregants. in rome, pope benedict the xvi presided over a series of special events. this week is considered the most important time on the church calendar. saturday night vigils and joyful easter sunday celebrations are usually the best attended worship services of the year. at the white house, president obama marked the holiday with an easter prayer breakfast. more than 100 orthodox christian, catholic and protestant leaders attended. the president spoke of holy week as a time of humility, salvation and grace. >> this magnificent grace, this expansive grace, this "amazing grace" calls me to reflect. and it calls me to pray. it calls me to ask god for forgiveness for the times that i've not shown grace to others.

>> the president also hosted a passover seder on monday night for jewish staff and friends. vigils were held across the gulf coast on wednesday to mark the one-year anniversary of the bp oil spill. many religious groups have been among those providing support to people affected by the disaster. catholic charities in new orleans says it's still offering job counseling, financial assistance, and mental health services. the group reports that 79% of its clients have yet to receive payments on their claims. the united states announced that it would begin using armed drones in libya, as leader moammar gadhafi's forces intensified attacks on the rebel-held ci of misrat human rights groups say the city is facing a humanitarian crisis. the u.s. is sending additional supplies, but no weapons, to help protect civilians in rebel areas. earlier in the week, gadhafi said the united nations could begin delivering aid to misrata.

a catholic bishop in tripoli called once again for a cease-fire, saying civilians are being killed by nato airstrikes. the u.s. senate has approved a new ambassador for ternational religious freedom. suzan johnson cook is a baptist minister and former pastor of bronx christian fellowship church. the ambassador's post had been vacant since president obama took office. meanwhile, another u.s. ambassador is resigning over a dispute about religion. obama appointed douglas kmiec, a prominent lawyer and educator, as ambassador to malta. a recent state department report accused kmiec, a roman catholic, of spending too much time writing about religion. he responded by saying the state department neglects religion's role in foreign policy. now, a special report. as christians attended church services this holy week, many

were hearing parts of the familiar easter story in language from the king james version of the bible. this year marks the 400th anniversary of the first publication of the king james translation. the king james version has had a profound influence on language, culture, and faith. kim lawton has the story. ♪ >> in the beginning was the word and the word was with god and the word was god. >> the lord is my shepherd, i shall not want. >> for i know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. >> reporter: the familiar rhythms and cadences have echoed over four centuries. and believers and nonbelievers alike say it's impossible to overstate the impact of the king james version of the bible. >> it is the edition of the book, essentially. more than any other book in the world, and the bible has

influenced us, but this is the edition of the bible that has influenced us the most. >> reporter: jon sweeney is author of a new book, "verily, verily," which examines that influence. he says the king james version, the kjv, has been particularly important in american culture and history. >> it's the bible of the speeches of lincoln. it's the bible of herman melville's "moby dick." it's the bible of the speeches of martin luther king. it's the basis of cultural identity in the united states more than any other book. >> reporter: sweeney's book is one of many being released for the kjv's 400th anniversary. all year long, groups around the world are organizing celebrations, from symposia and exhibitions to special projects online. based in nashville, tennessee, thomas nelson publishers is the leading commercial publisher of king james bibles. and they're still rolling off the presses. in this factory, workers add thumb indexes to help readers more easily find the various

books of the bible. for the 400th anniversary, thomas nelson has released a special limited edition king james bible. today more copies of contemporary translations may be sold such as the new international version or niv. but the king james version is still near the top of the list. in just the last 12 months, thomas nelson sold more than a million copies of the kjv. the bible is the best-selling book in history, and the king james version is the best-selling translation of all time. no one knows exactly how many king james bibles have been published over the centuries, but experts say it's likely in the billions. >> the king james is the most printed book in the history of man. it is an amazing thing. >> reporter: the king james bible emerged out of a tumultuous religious period in english history. for nearly a millennium, the latin vulgate bible had been considered the only sacred text. as latin became less used, ordinary people couldn't understand what they heard when priests read the bible in

church. there were calls for an english vernacular bible, but scholars who did the translations were branded heretics. in 1401, the english parliament made it a crime punishable by death. enter william tyndale, a renegade 16th century scholar who made the first english translation from hebrew and greek texts. in 1536 even as king henry viii was separating from the roman catholic church, he had tyndale arrested and executed. but just a year later, it was henry who authorized the first legal english translation. baylor university professor scott carroll directs the green collection, one of the world's largest private collections of rare biblical texts and artifacts. he says 80% of tyndale's work ended up in the kjv. >> i think he's an unsung hero in the whole story. >> reporter: after henry viii came a series of english bibles all intertwined in the often

bloody battles between khat licks and protestants. when king james i came to the throne, he wanted a version of the bible that wasn't tied to a particular movement. he formed a translation committee of scholars. >> they were commissioned in 1604 to find the best translations out there and then match them up with the greek and hebrew and if they matched up, to take them. when you think about the king james, i think generally, people think about, they think it's a protestant commodity. but in fact, it really was a result, a culmination, of jewish, catholic, even greek orthodox scholarship that led to this publication. >> reporter: what has been called the "masterpiece by committee" was first published in 1611. and thanks to moveable type printing, the king james bible was widely distributed. >> the success of the king james bible is directly tied to the success of the introduction of the gutenberg printing press and advancements made beyond that, absolutely. >> reporter: it wasn't always a smooth process.

>> 1631, the wicked bible, where a typesetter forgot to put the word "not" in, and it says, "thou shalt commit adultery." and the poor printer was fined. he had to pull all the books off the market, so he lost his investment in that and he ended up dying in debtor's prison. >> reporter: the king james bible caught on, and for the next three centuries, it was virtually the only bible used in the english-speaking world. ♪ its literary beauty inspired writers and artists, who incorporated the language into their work, from the most beloved classics to the world of pop culture. ♪ >> the king james bible is meant to be read a loud more than any other translation. and i believe that the translators themselves knew that. there were poets in those rooms

in the jerusalem chamber in westminster abbey and they wanted, they wanted the bible to sing. for instance, first kings 19:12 -- "and after the earthquake a fire, but the lord was not in the fire. and after the fire a still small voice." >> reporter: the kjv has had a significant impact on spoken english as well. >> many of those phrases that we hear today every day, over 350 that have been identified that are used in modern english, came right out of the king james and most people don't have a clue that they're quoting the king james bible. >> the powers that be, a man after his own heart, signs of the times, eat, drink and be merry, the apple of his eye, can a leopard change his spots, am i my brother's keeper, seek and ye shall find, the lord is my shepherd, let my people go, and on and on and on. >> reporter: the kjv's poetic rhythms made it easy for people to remember. >> for i know the plans i have

for you saith the lord. >> thy word have i hid in my heart that i might not sin against god. >> i lyndon baines johnson do solemnly swear -- >> reporter: almost every american president has been sworn in with his hand on a king james bible. kjv language has been the source of some of the most important speeches in america's history, including lincoln's gettysburg address and martin luther king jr.'s most beloved remarks. >> i've seen the promised land. >> reporter: politicians to this day make king james references. >> that i am my brothers' keeper, i am my sister's keeper. >> reporter: for a long time, many christians considered the kjv the only version authorized by god himself. >> our lord jesus christ, the great shepherd of the sheep. >> reporter: with the advent of more modern translations, the number of king james-only churches has decreased dramatically. but the kjv has never disappeared from regular use. >> there used to be, maybe 30, 40, 50 years ago, a single

translation might be the preferred translation of choice for a church. i think those ys are gone. where a pastor, if he's smart, will use multiple translations, the king james will liky be one of them. >> reporter: even congregations which may think they don't use the king james might be surprised to learn the language of the "lord's prayer" recited in most churches is indeed kjv. >> our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. >> reporter: recognition of the kjv's influence crosses theological lines. the vatican embassy in washington hosted a reception in honor of the 400th anniversary. guests got a first look at a traveling exhibition that will be on display in rome later this year. and at the christian science headquarters in boston, the mary baker eddy library also has a special kjv display. there, visitors can hand-copy verses from the king james bible in the same way monks and

scholars copied scripture before the invention of the printing press. still, many modern christians say they find the kjv frustrating for personal use. the sometimes arcane words can be difficult to understand, and many trip over all the thees and thous. jon sweeney believes this is unfortunate. >> contemporary translations are good, they're great, they make the bible relevant, but at the same time i think it makes it kind of ordinary. so reading the bible is kind of like reading a popular novel. >> reporter: sweeney says the kjv can bring a sense of wonder and majesty that is spiritually meaningful if people take the time to experience it. >> it's interesting to read a bible and have thees and thous, different ways that might actually change how you think about the god that you're praying to, about the god that you're reading about, about the activity of that god, because you're using language that feels more reverential. i find that it puts my heart in the right place. >> reporter: and, 400 years

later, millions around the world still agree. i'm kim lawton reporting. we have a very personal look today at the impasse between palestinian arabs and israeli jews. beneath the jerusalem hills, near the entrance to the city, are the remains of the former arab village of lifta. all of lifta's arab residents fled or were forced out during israel's war for independence in 1948. today, it's the only once-arab village in israel that has not been destroyed or resettled by jews. lifta's former arab residents want it back. the jerusalem government wants it developed for luxury housing. and some preservationists, on both sides, want it kept as a monument to what life there used to be. menachem daum is an american jew

from brooklyn. he traveled to lifta recently to hear all sides of the story. >> i may have a family link to lifta. my uncle, meyer yosef, a member of the betar zionist youth, left poland for palestine in 1937. he joined the lehi militia, also known as the stern gang. he was my hero. while the rest of my family were victims during the holocaust, he was a fighter for the jewish people. >> he was convinced that israel was home. that's what he told his mother when she was crying at the train station when he left poland. she was crying so much. he said, "don't cry, i'm going home." the arabs, we didn't think about them at all. >> in 1947, my uncle's stern gang and other jewish militias were fighting arab forces near lifta.

on december 28, jewish fighters entered lifta's coffeehouse and killed at least five villagers, allegedly in retaliation for an attack on a passing jewish bus. fearing for their lives, most of lifta's arab residents fled. none have ever been permitted to return. on a visit to lifta's spring, i met a group of israeli youngsters and was curious to hear what they knew about lifta. >> so what about the history of this place? >> when we came to capture the land, so they didn't like israel so they escaped. they just want to kill us. >> what would you think if some people who used to live here 60 years ago wanted to come back? >> that it's theirs.

>> for most of my life i held the same simplistic attitudes as these girls and until today have never spoken to palestinians to hear their side of the story. >> here was my home. you see these stones? here was my home. no time i forget when i was playing here. >> did you have phones here, by the way? >> no, we are shouting. i want to call my young cousin or uncle, "mohammed!" i shout, and he answered me in the same way "yacoub!" >> i always looked upon my uncle as a hero. all my other relatives died in the ovens, and he was a fighter. >> now my question for you, how

do you look on a person kicked you from your house, destroy your life to become a refugee, to be in a tent and in winter cold or in summer hot? i think who steal, who theft your freedom, your dignity, your right to live with your community, and kick you out in a miserable life -- no time you will see him a hero. if i do it, sure you will hate me. you will attack me. you will attack me. >> yacoub's description of his village reminded me of the memories that were passed down to me of my ancestors' destroyed shtetls in poland. if the development of lifta goes through, will its arab heritage and memories also be erased? i went to ramallah in the west

bank to meet other former residents of lifta and collect their memories. >> we had jewish neighbors and christian neighbors. we all lived together happily. our jewish friends would come to our weddings and parties. the christians also came. we were like one family. >> if they were to tell me now you have the right to go back to lifta, it would take me one hour. i would walk. i would not even take a taxi or car to go to lifta. i will walk it, and if i die without getting it back, my children will get it back, my grandchildren will get it back. >> i took all my children to lifta. i showed them where a house used to be. i showed them everything. of course, we always tell them there is hope. even if only for the children of our children, the hope is still there.

>> you can see those cars? that are there. they are exactly up the wadi of the valley of lifta. >> so you look here from your roof and you can see. >> i can see, but what can i do? >> neither lifta's former residents nor their children are likely to return if the government allows lifta to be developed. under its plan, the 54 existing ruins will be rehabilitated and sold as villas and will be surrounded by luxury housing, hotels and shops. proponents of the plan say it will actually preserve lifta and save it from further deterioration. >> we are not interested in erasing heritage. the plan addresses the heritage of lifta, to leave the old architecture.

we are not building new buildings that will be tall, but will be in the style of old lifta. >> wouldn't it make symbolic sense to somehow not develop lifta right now and hold it as a symbolic gesture for some better future? >> i think that you are wrong. i have a different opinion. if i turn it into a monument and say on this site there was an arab village, that will only lead to hatred and painful memories, because we would then be causing conflict, and then they're going to say that this is how we once lived and then the jews came and threw us out. no, i'm not going to do that. we are the state of israel. we are jews. we don't have to save the palestinian heritage. they will know that it was lifta, but we are a new nation that has to progress. >> while some israelis see the ruins of lifta as a threat to peace, others believe just the opposite. they want to preserve lifta as a

place of education and hopefully reconciliation. >> lifta is also a village of hope. it can be a place where we can talk about our future, where we can remember the past, where israelis could see how palestinians used to live, could understand what it means for palestinians to lose their houses, what happened to them in 1948. so why destroy this little hope that we still have? >> my uncle dreamed of a land where jews could walk the streets proudly as jews. he saw arabs as an impediment to that dream. i have come to believe that lifta is important for jews as well as for arabs. if jewish and arab youth grow up believing they have always been natural enemies, peace will be impossible. we need to preserve lifta to challenge the simplistic memories we often pass on to the next generation.

>> menachem daum says he has made many trips to israel but this was the first time he ever talked with palestinian arabs. they all had grievances, he said, but no one expressed hatred of him because he is a jew. they want to live in peace, they told menachem -- muslim, jew and christian together the way they used to. on our calendar this week, jews around the world continue their observance of passover, the exodus story, when they commemorate god's "passing over" the houses of the jews, sparing them while slaying the firstborn sons of the egyptians. members of the baha'i faith continue to celebrate ridvan, when the prophet baha'u'llah announced that he was thnew messenger of god, and as we noted earlier, easter sunday, in the orthodox tradition, pascha. that's our program for now. i'm bob abernethy.

happy easter. we have much more on our website, including lots more about the 40th anniversary of the king james bible. you can comment on all of our stories and share them. audio and video podcasts are also available and because our website is a finalist again this year for the prestigious webby award from the international academy of digit arts and sciences, you'll find a link to where you can vote, for us, we hope. join us at pbs.org. as we leave you, music and pageantry from last year's easter service at washington's national cathedral. ♪

♪ major funding for "religion and ethics newsweekly" is provided by the lilly endowment, an indianapolis based private family foundation dedicated to its founders' interest in religion, community development, and education. additional funding by mutual of america, designing customized individual and group retirement products. that's why we're your retirement company.

and the corporation for public broadcasting.