1709 MASSACHUSETTS PSALTER LEAF – FIRST ENGLISH NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE PRINTED IN AMERICA

Description

PRESENTING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION EXQUISITE GENUINE  315 YEAR OLD 1709 MASSACHUSETT PSALTER LEAF. ALSO KNOWN AS THE PSALMS OF DAVID WITH THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN. TRANSLATED BY EXPERIENCE MAYHEW (1673- 1758) OF MARTHA’S VINEYARD FROM THE KING JAMES BIBLE INTO THE ALGONQUIN INDIAN DIALECT OF MASSACHUSETT. PRINTED BY BARTHOLOMEW GREEN AND JAMES PRINTER IN BOSTON, NEW ENGLAND IN 1709. NOT RECORDED IN HERBERT OR HILL.

THIS IS THE VERY FIRST TIME THAT NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE IN ENGLISH WAS PRINTED IN AMERICA. PREDATES THE FAMOUS ROBERT AITKEN BIBLE BY 73 YEARS.

THE FIRST TIME ANY SCRIPTURES WERE PRINTED IN ENGLISH IN AMERICA WAS THE BAY COLONY PSALM BOOK OF 1640. THE 1709 MASSACHUSETTS PSALTER CONTAINS THE PSALMS AND THE GOSPEL OF JOHN MAKING IT THE FIRST PRINTING OF NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURE IN ENGLISH IN AMERICA. A TRUE AMERICAN INCUNABLE !

LEAF MEASURES 6 1/8″ x 3 7/8 ” AND HAS 41 LINES OF TEXT TO THE FULL COLUMN WITH MASSACHUSETT ON THE LEFT AND ENGLISH ON THE RIGHT. THIS ARRANGEMENT IS KNOWN AS A DIGLOT OR TWO LANGUAGES.

 FEATURING THE TEXT OF PSALM 54:2- 55:3a ON THE RECTO AND 55:3b- 55:11 ON THE  VERSO.

NICLEY PRESENTED IN A 7 PAGE LEAF BOOKLET INCLUDING A C.O.A.

(PICTURED DUAL TITLE PAGE IS NOT INCLUDED. SHOWN FOR REFERENCE ONLY)

James Printer, also known as Wowaus, (1640–1709) was a Native American from the Nipmuc tribe who studied and worked as a printer in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was one of the most famous early Nipmuc writers. Printer was the first Native American printer’s devil in America as well as one of John Eliot’s most accomplished interpreters who assisted in the creation of the Eliot Indian Bible.

Little is known of Printer’s early years. Printer was born in the Indian Praying town of Hassanamesit near what is now Grafton, Massachusetts. He was the son of Naoas. Naoas was a convert of John Eliot and a leading member of the Christian Native church in Hassanamesit.

Printer attended Harvard’s Indian College beginning in 1659. He worked as an apprentice to Samuel Green at his printing press. Through his apprenticeship he became an accomplished typesetter and he pursued a printing career for most of his life. He lived and worked among the English for nearly his entire life.

Printer was the first Native American printer’s devil (apprentice) in America. He played an instrumental role in the printing of John Eliot’s Indian Bible, the first bible printed in America which was printed in the Massachusett language. Printer helped to complete a thousand copies of the Indian Bible before the end of 1663. While other Native Americans helped Eliot in the creation of his Bible, Printer is said to have been Eliot’s most accomplished interpreter who did more than any of the other interpreters to translate the Bible into the Massachusett dialect. Several scholars point out the bible was most likely composed by Native Americans and that Printer along with Cockenoe and Job Nesuton deserve at least equal credit for the production of Eliot’s collection of publication in Native American languages.