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The First Bible in America: John Eliot, the Algonquin New Testament, and the Work of James Moore

 


Preaching in a Wigwam



On October 28, 1646, in a wigwam in Nonantum (now Newton, Massachusetts), missionary John Eliot preached his first sermon to members of the Massachusett tribe — in their own language. Sharing the Gospel with the Native peoples was one of the earliest aims of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and Eliot took that mission to heart.


After fifteen years living among the tribe, studying their speech and culture, Eliot developed a written form of their language. In 1661, he published the New Testament in the Natick–Massachusetts (Algonquin) dialect — the first New Testament ever printed in America. Two years later, in 1663, he completed the full Bible — the first complete Bible ever printed in the Western Hemisphere.


Eliot’s work was not done alone. Native translators like Job Nesuton worked closely with him for more than a decade to complete the translation. Printers Samuel Green, Marmaduke Johnson, and James Printer (a Native typesetter educated at Harvard’s Indian College) spent nearly three years producing over 1,200 pages of Scripture. Their achievement remains one of the most extraordinary collaborations between Native and English Christians in colonial America.





“Come and Help Us”



The first seal of the Massachusetts Colony bore an image of a Native American saying, “Come and help us” — a phrase taken from Acts 16:9. John Eliot answered that call, dedicating his life to linguistic and spiritual outreach.


Eliot would later go on to publish the 1640 Bay Psalm Book, the first book printed in British North America, and eventually the 1661 Algonquin New Testament, both milestones in American printing and missionary history.





Continuing the Legacy — James Moore’s Work



Today, James Moore carries forward Eliot’s legacy of faith, literacy, and preservation. Through years of study and craftsmanship, James has devoted himself to recreating the earliest Bibles printed in America — using antique tools and historically accurate binding methods.


You can see James’s projects here:

📖 The 1640 Bay Psalm Book »

📜 The 1661 Algonquin New Testament »


One of James’s most meaningful moments came when Jonathan Yellowbear, a modern Native man, received his own Algonquin Gospels book handmade by James. The book reproduces the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John from Eliot’s 1661 translation.


Jonathan was photographed holding it at the Attean Family Powwow in Gray, Maine — a powerful symbol of connection between the first Native Christians and their modern descendants.


James continues to clean and restore the remaining pages of the 1661 New Testament, with hopes of one day reproducing the entire Bible.


🎥 Watch a short 59-second video on the project: https://youtu.be/9jAr0CeA4UQ





A Visit to the Morgan Library & Museum



During a recent visit to the Morgan Library and Museum in New York, James photographed several surviving Eliot Bibles. One bore a blue cover — likely not original, since 17th-century bindings were typically plain and unlabelled. Another, dated 1685, was bound in black leather, a later Old Testament edition.


These volumes, each slightly altered by time and preservation, serve as a reminder of Eliot’s enduring influence — and the living connection between the pressmen of 1661 and modern artisans like James who still honor their work.





Related Stories of Faith and Language



Eliot’s mission inspired others to share the Gospel in Indigenous and African-American communities:


  • In 1803, Gideon Blackburn began a mission to the Cherokee, producing remarkable results despite danger.
  • In 1780, Lemuel Haynes became the first Black minister licensed by a white denomination — and later, the first to pastor a white congregation.
  • And in 1766–1767, Samson Occom, a Native Mohegan minister, traveled to England to raise funds for Indian charity schools. His sermon, “At the Execution of Moses Paul, an Indian,” remains one of the earliest published works by a Native author.



Each of these figures continued the vision that faith and literacy belong to every people and language.





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Closing Reflection



From the wigwams of Nonantum to the workbench of James Moore, this story bridges nearly four centuries. The Algonquin Bible was more than the first Bible printed in America — it was a bridge of language, faith, and endurance.


Through his meticulous craft, James Moore ensures that this history is not forgotten — reminding us that preserving the past is about restoring the voices that once spoke the Word in their own tongue.



Carrying the Work Forward



If this story inspired you, consider supporting the ongoing preservation of America’s earliest printed Scriptures.


James Moore continues to hand-bind and reproduce the earliest works of American printing — including the 1640 Bay Psalm Book and the 1661 Algonquin New Testament — using authentic period tools and techniques. Each project keeps alive the spirit of faith, craftsmanship, and linguistic preservation that began nearly four centuries ago.


🔗 Explore & Support the Work:

📜 18thCenturyBibles.org »

🎥 Watch the 59-second video on the Algonquin New Testament »


💬 Ways to Help:


  • Share this story with others passionate about early American or Native history
  • Commission a handcrafted Gospel book from the 1661 Algonquin New Testament
  • Follow the ongoing restoration updates on 18thcenturybibles.org



Each replica, each bound page, continues the same mission that began in a 17th-century wigwam — to make the Word known, and to honor the people who first heard it in their own tongue.


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