The first book printed in america was the bible

The bay psalm book the first book printed in america is. The first precisely datable printing is the gutenbergs 31line indulgence which is known to already exist on 22 october 1454. Notably this was the first book printed in america from stereotype plates produced in america. Colonists came seeking religious freedom, so the first book they printed was not a political tract or even a bible, but a hymnal. Its the first bible printed in america and in a native american language. One of the first ever printed book and the most famous of all first prints was the bible. The translations are not particularly polished, and not one has remained in use, although some of the tunes to which they were sung. The previous year the philadelphia bible society had produced a stereotype bible printed from plates made in england.

How was the bible distributed before the printing press was. But it was not a version of the kings speechor king s englishthe king james bible. At its completion, the eliot bible emerged as the largest printing project in seventeenthcentury america. But neither printing nor movable type was actually invented by johannes gutenberg, nor did he print the first book. The bible was tanslated by john eliot 16041690, a congregational minister and missionary, and published in cambridge, masschusetts for native americans. The bay psalm book, as it is known, is essentially sacred text to be sung during the liturgy. Many people are shocked to discover that the first bible printed in america was not english or any other european language. The first bible printed in america was john eliot s algonquin indian language bible, which came off the press in 1663, and again in 1685. With the assistance of several native speakers, he learned the wopanaak dialect of the tribes of colonial new england.

The gutenberg bible also known as the 42line bible, the mazarin bible or the b42 was among the earliest major books printed using massproduced movable metal type in europe. The bay psalm book is a metrical psalter first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. But i am not sure what the first printed book in the usa was. Johannes gutenberg is often credited as the inventor of the printing press in 1454. The first bible printed in america museum of the bible. The book is a metrical psalter, first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. Publication of the first edition of the king james bible. Called the bible of the revolution it was the first englishlanguage bible printed in america and the only bible ever authorized by an act of congress. Since our founding in 1992, first book has distributed more than 175 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from lowincome families. The first item printed was the freemans oath, followed by an almanac. The sheets of papyrus were sewed together and placed between two pieces of wood for covers.

The new testament was extensively used as a reading book. The crazy story behind the first book published in the. He is credited with the first printed book because all other attempts were single page operations repeated until the book was done. The translations are not particularly polished, and not one has remained in use, although some of the tunes to which they were sung have survived. The recuyell of the historyes of troye was his first printed book, and the first book printed anywhere in english. John alden, however, brought a copy of the king james bible printed in 1620. The gutenberg bible was among the earliest major books printed using mass produced. In 1663, missionary john elliot printed the first bible in america at harvard. History of the bible timeline from creation to today. In the past, christian america writers such as david barton have routinely circulated mistaken ideas about the connection between the 1782 congress and the bible. Chairman, and the other honble gentlemen of the committee of congress on mr.

The eliot bible was in fact, the first bible printed in the western hemisphere. Americas earliest bibles in the early 1600s, the geneva bible became the first bible to be taken across the atlantic to america. That bible approved by the founding fathers in congress was the first englishlanguage bible to be printed in america. History of printing timeline american printing history. A leaf from john eliot s algonquin native american indian language bible. In fact, it was not until 1640 that the first book was printed in america. William brewster, holding the bible, and pastor john robinson lead governor carver. The threevolume work, in latin text, was printed in 42line columns and, in its later stages.

While the old testament was first copied on leather scrolls, the use of papyrus soon became the favorite of bible copyists. A copy of the gutenberg bible in the collection of the new york public library. The current record for the highestpriced printed book is not a gutenberg bible or a first folio of shakespeare but a copy of john james. Then came the puritans new translation, the whole booke of psalmes, with more than 400 pages, about the size. The first book printed in america and the first book entirely written in the. The first bible printed in america was john eliots algonquin indian language bible. Robert aitkens bible was the first known englishlanguage bible to be printed in america, and also the only bible to receive congressional approval. Jul 10, 2018 one of the hardiest christian america myths is the idea that congress gave financial support to print the first americanpublished bible in 1782, or even that congress printed it themselves. Neither is true, though congress did give an endorsement to the bible printed by robert aitken.

However, its production, just 20 years after the pilgrims arrival at plymouth, massachusetts, represents a considerable achievement. Gutenberg bible, the first complete book extant in the west and the earliest printed from movable type, so called after its printer, johannes gutenberg, who completed it about 1455 working at mainz, ger. Sep 04, 2017 making america s first book in 1620, the pilgrims who sailed on the mayflower most likely brought bibles with them, but theres no definitive evidence about which versions or how many they. Known as the bay psalm book, this book was printed in cambridge, massachusetts in 1640, about 20 years after arrival of puritan colonists. Aitkens bible, sometimes referred to as the bible of the revolution, is one of the rarest books in the world, with few copies still in existence today. The first book printed in america from stereotype plates made. It was produced in 1473 on the continent, in either bruges or ghent.

Earliest american bibles museums houston baptist university. Nov 22, 2011 as the hotter, more godly variety of protestants, the pilgrims used the geneva bible. The psalms in it are metrical translations into english. Actually the term bible comes from the greek word for papyrus plant biblos. The present example of the bay psalm book from the old south churchs collection comes to auction at sothebys new york with a presale. The diamond sutra, a buddhist book from dunhuang, china from around 868 a. In fact, the involvement of knox and calvin in the creation of the geneva bible made it especially appealing in scotland, where a law was passed in 1579 requiring every household of sufficient means to buy a copy. First bible published in north america guinness world records. Dec 26, 2018 it is said to be the most printed book in the history of the world, with more than one billion copies in print. Puritan ministers in the massachusetts bay colony translated the bibles psalms from hebrew, making this book the first written in the new world in english. First bible published in north america guinness world. We can assume that before 1698, no printing presses were technologically equipped.

It was the first book printed in british north america. May 30, 2007 the first book printed in the english language was the recuyell of the histories of troy, issued, about 1475, at bruges. May 05, 2020 roxbury, ma thousands of bibles have been printed in america, but you probably know little about the very first bible printed here. It was far the most popular english bible until the midseventeenth century, but especially so among those termed puritans, given its associations with calvinist geneva. The first book printed in the english language was the recuyell of the histories of troy, issued, about 1475, at bruges. Preparation of the bible probably began soon after 1450, and the first finished copies were available in 1454 or 1455. The british museums copy of the aitken bible bears aitkens autograph memorandum, this first copy of the first edition of the bible ever printed in america in the.

The gutenberg bible was among the earliest major books printed using massproduced. John eliot, a cambridge scholar and christian missionary, was a gifted translator and linguist. Rather, it was written in the algonquin indian language. The only copy held outside europe or north america is the first volume of a gutenberg bible hubay 45 at keio university in tokyo. Education in early american public schools americas. In fact, the first book printed in english north america contained a translation of the psalms.

One of the hardiest christian america myths is the idea that congress gave financial support to print the first americanpublished bible in 1782, or even that congress printed it themselves. The chinese actually printed from movable type in 1040, but later discarding the method. Apr 20, 2020 the first dated printed book is the diamon sutra. I think mya was the first in the answer list to say that the gutenberg bible was the first printed book she and the others are right. The decision to print a book of psalms metered for singing may seem an odd choice as the first book to be printed by the settlers of massachusetts bay, but this modest book served the larger purpose of the colonyto live within the reformed church. In boston in 1698, two printers named bartholomew green and john allen published the ninth edition of the bay psalm book, which is significant since it contains the first printed music in british north america. Gutenberg bible the gutenberg bible was the first book printed on a printing press, but it was not the first book ever printed. The very first bible printed in scotland was a geneva bible, which was first issued in 1579.

It has been dubbed the first bible printed in america on americanmade paper, even though american paper was probably used for the 1743 bible. The bay psalm book was the first book printed in british north america. The first bible printed in america a leaf from john eliots algonquin native american indian language bible. The most famous and valuable early america bible, the first bible printed in america, was in the natick dialect of the algonquin language. William caxton was the first englishman to learn to use a printing press. The bay psalm book, the first book printed in the american colonies cambridge. But it was not a version of the kings speechor kings englishthe king james bible. Early english bibles bibles in the american colonies. First book is a nonprofit social enterprise that provides new books, learning materials, and other essentials to children in need. Among the many bibles on display at museum of the bible in washington, dc, is a first edition. It is not known exactly how long the bible took to print. The first bible published in north america was the socalled eliot bible which was printed in 1663 at harvard college in cambridge, massachusetts.