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The First Easter In a translation from the Authorised Version of the Bible, published in 1611, St Mark recounts the discovery of Christ’s empty tomb.
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Music: George Frideric Handel

© Fumihiko Ueno. Licence: CC BY-SA 2.0. Source

About this picture …

The mesmerising interior of the Church of the Resurrection of the Saviour in St Petersburg, more popularly known as the Church of the Saviour on the Spilled Blood, a reference to the assassination of Tsar Alexander II on that site in 1881.

The First Easter
This translation of St Mark’s breathless account of the resurrection of Jesus was made in the reign of King James VI and I, and published in 1611. The language was deliberately archaic, even for William Shakespeare’s time, and translated the traditional ‘Byzantine’ text of the New Testament rather than the academic reconstructions preferred since the 19th century.

AND when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.

And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

Source

From Mark 16:1-9 (Authorised Version)

Related Video

A setting of the Easter hymn ‘The Angel Cried’, by Russian composer Mily Balakirev (1837-1910). Though not so well known today as his colleagues Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mussorgsky, and Tchaikovsky, in his day Balakirev exercised a tremendous influence over them all. His teacher Alexander Dubuque had been a pupil of Irishman John Field: see .

Further information

Suggested Music

Messiah

Hallelujah Chorus

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

Performed by the English Concert and choir, conducted by Christopher Hogwood.

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Transcript / Notes

HALLELUJAH: for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.

Revelation 19:6

The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever.

Revelation 11:15

King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.

Revelation 19:16

Hallelujah!

How To Use This Passage

You can use this passage to help improve your command of English.

IRead it aloud, twice or more. IISummarise it in one sentence of up to 30 words. IIISummarise it in one paragraph of 40-80 words. IVMake notes on the passage, and reconstruct the original from them later on. VJot down any unfamiliar words, and make your own sentences with them later. VIMake a note of any words that surprise or impress you, and ask yourself what meaning they add to the words you would have expected to see. VIITurn any old-fashioned English into modern English. VIIITurn prose into verse, and verse into prose. IXAsk yourself what the author is trying to get you to feel or think. XHow would an artist or a photographer capture the scene? XIHow would a movie director shoot it, or a composer write incidental music for it?

For these and more ideas, see How to Use The Copy Book.

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