It has been praised by some as the most beautiful book ever written and is set to celebrate its 400th anniversary next year, but many young people have never even heard of it.

According to a new survey out this week, 51 per cent of under-35s have never heard of the King James Bible.

Awareness was far greater among the over-55s, with only 28 per cent saying they had never heard of it.

The poll was carried out for the King James Bible Trust, which is spearheading nationwide celebrations surrounding the translation’s anniversary.

A spokesman for the Trust was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying: “There has been a dramatic drop in knowledge in a generation. Yet this is a work which was far more influential than Shakespeare in the development and spread of English.”

King James I ordered translators to work on a new Bible in 1604 and it was finally completed in 1611, becoming the standard edition of the Bible in many English speaking countries for centuries to come.

Some churches have already started to mark the 400th anniversary. In the north of England, the Lancashire Methodist District and Diocese of Blackburn are launching their programmes for the Year of the Bible this Advent weekend.

In Preston Minster, people have signed up to take part in a Bible marathon that will see the whole book read aloud continuously from Genesis to Revelation from 9pm tonight until 9pm on Sunday.

The Royal Mail has already announced plans to produce a special edition set of stamps to commemorate the anniversary. It said the stamp was being produced in response to numerous requests from the public, including DUP MLA Mervyn Storey.