William Tyndale
William Tyndale William Tyndale (ca.1484 - October 6, 1536) was a 16th century priest and scholar who translated the Bible into an early form of "modern" English. Although some English translations had been previously made, Tyndale's was the first to take advantage of the new medium of print, which allowed for its wide distribution. Forbidden to work in England, Tyndale translated and printed in English the New Testament and half the Old Testament between 1525 and 1535 in Germany and the Low Countries. He worked from the Greek and Hebrew original texts when knowledge of those languages in England was rare.
Tyndale's translation was banned by the authorities, and Tyndale himself was burned at the stake in 1536 near Brussels, Belgium, at the instigation of agents of Henry VIII and the Anglican Church. His last words were, "Lord, open the king of England's eyes."
Much of Tyndale's work eventually found its way to the King James Version of the Bible, which, although compiled by 54 independent scholars, is based largely on Tyndale's translations.