The Algonquin Bible - The First American Bible

The first bible to be printed in America was the Algonquin Bible by John Eliot. The Algonquin Bible was first published in 1663 in Cambridge, Mass. The Algonquin Bible was also the first bible printed in the western hemisphere. Until the later 1700's English bibles could more cheaply be printed in England and imported to America than they could be printed in America. Many people are surprised to learn the first bible printed in America was not in English, French or German. The Algonquin Bible was printed in the Massachusetts Indian dialect - Algonquin.

John Eliot emigrated to The New World (America) in 1631 and arrived at Massachusetts Bay Colony which was founded by the Puritans. Part of the initial goal of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was to evangelize the native Americans.

John Eliot, a New England Puritan pastor, needed a bible for his mission to bring the gospel to the native Americans. The bible he needed was not available anywhere. He had to produce the bible he needed so he produced the Algonquin Bible. John Eliot had gained the confidence of the native Americans. He agreed to learn their language and they agreed to learn the phonetic alphabet used by the western world. John Eliot was then able to produce the Algonquin Bible by translating the bible into the Algonquin language. The result was the Algonquin Bible in the native American tongue.

Prior to the creation of the Algonquin Bible the Indians had communicated almost exclusively by talking and occasionally using drawings. Until John Eliot produced the Algonquin Bible the native Americans did not have a written language. The Algonquin Bible not only brought the gospel to the native Americans it also gave them a written language. With the production of the Algonquin Bible the native Americans could then read the bible and the Algonquin Bible gave them the ability to use the alphabet to write other stories about their culture. The creation of the Algonquin Bible was a monumental task. At the time, the Algonquin language was considered to be one of the most difficult in the world.

The Algonquin Bible has been called the Algonquin Indian Language Bible, the Algonquin Bible and the Eliot Bible. The Algonquin Bible was printed on 100% rag cotton linen sheet and the official title was "The Holy Bible Containing the Old Testament and New. Translated into the Indian Language." 1000 complete copies of the Algonquin Bible with the old and new testament were printed and available to distribute to the Algonquin Indians.

Some of the leaves from the Algonquin Bible still remain after almost 350 years. They are a rare and important part of our American history. The Algonquin Bible along with being the first bible printed in American and the Western Hemisphere the Algonquin Bible is one of the earliest of American printings. Leaves from the Algonquin Bible have sold for well over $3000.

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