Tyndale, << TIHN duhl, >> William (1494-1536), was an early English leader of the Reformation. He is best known for translating the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into English. His work later became important as a basis for the King James Version of the Bible.
Tyndale first translated the New Testament in an effort to make the Scriptures more widely available, but he could not get it published in England. After leaving England permanently in 1524, he finally had his translation published in Germany and had copies smuggled into England. See Bible (Early English translations) .
Tyndale was born in Gloucestershire. He studied at Oxford and Cambridge universities from 1510 to about 1521 and was ordained a priest. He was strongly influenced by the ideas of his friend, the German Reformation leader Martin Luther. Tyndale was executed by Roman Catholic authorities as a Protestant heretic on Oct. 6, 1536, in Belgium.
