Rubensteins copy, on loan to the library for this exhibition, were at originally part of the historic old south church library in boston. The bay psalm book 1 the lord to me a shepherd is, want therefore i shall not, he in the folds of tender grass doth make me down to lie to waters calm he gently leads restore my soul doth he he doth in paths of righteousness for his names sake lead me. A virtual reconstruction of the new worlds first englishlanguage book ian christiemiller, wilberforce eames and kevin cattrell. The bay psalm book bought by rubenstein was one of two owned by bostons old south church and is one of the finest. It was prepared by puritan leaders of the massachusetts bay colony. Rare bay psalm book goes on view at sothebys the new york. Lets find out which are the top 10 most expensive books ever sold.
As per the records, as of now, there are just 11 copies of the bay psalm book which are distributed among the universities of the nation and some renowned public libraries. What is the bay psalm book but did you know that the bay psalm book was first printed in the colonies in 1640 and in reissues remained in use for over 100 years. Heath anthology of american literaturethe bay psalm book. The first book written and printed in the new world, the bay psalm book holds a unique place in our cultural and religious history. The reverend jesse glover imported the first printing press to the massachusetts bay colony in 1638, some 18 years after the first english settlers landed at plymouth rock. A hotel sells out, leaving a traveler with an unconfirmed reservation and no place to stay. Written by richard mather mather, richard, 15961669, british puritan clergyman in north america, b explanation of bay psalme book.
Q2r from the bay psalm book remaining at the old south church. Believed to be the first book published in the us, the work has become the most expensive printed book after it was auctioned. Book published in 1640 sets a record at auction the new. Billionaire david rubenstein buys colonial bay psalm book. The bay psalm book and the new england primer were, next to the bible, the most commonly owned books in seventeenthcentury new england. The auction for the copy of the whole booke of psalmes thats become known as the bay psalm book finally happened last week, and billionaire david m.
The communal singing of the psalms from the bay psalm book served to instill a strong sense of unity among puritans of the day. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english. Back in april, we told you about an extremely rare book going up for auction from sothebys, expected to sell for millions. A london printer, stephen daye, came with the press and established a printing office in cambridge. Some might not think that one could pay a high amount of money for a book today, but youd be surprised. There are a few books out there, old ones mostly, that are valued at super high prices.
A2r from the bay psalm book remaining at the old south church, showing thomas princes annotations of variant readings from the 1647 reprint edition. Census of copies of the bay psalm book, with provenance. Book published in 1640 sets a record at auction the new york. The bay psalm book, as this work is commonly known, is the first book printed in british north america. The first book ever printed in what became the usa is now the worlds most expensive printed book. The puritan divines of the massachusetts bay colony set out to produce a translation from the hebrew that was reflective of their unique brand of calvinism and more literal than the most popular psalter. Top companies best hotels global passport ranking, 2020. Q2r from the bay psalm book remaining at the old south church, showing the unique reading in psalm 69, verse 23 see page 39. The bay psalm book 1640 the new england primer 1683. In 1638, the first printing press was imported to the massachusetts bay colony and a grou. Bay psalm book sold december 4, 20 rns1nov20 for the first time since 1947, and only the second time since the nineteenth century, a copy of the first book printed in america will be sold at auction.
The singing of psalmes, though it breath forth nothing but holy harmony, and melody. Believed to be the first book published in the us, the work has become the. The bay psalm book was the first book printed in british north america. The psalms in it are metrical translations into english. Can you think of any book that can be sold in millions of dollars. Join david redden director, special projects, and s. The bay psalm book, which was auctioned tuesday at sothebys in new york city, set an auction record for a printed book, according to the. The bay psalm book is a book of many firststhe first englishlanguage book in north america, the first book of american poetry, and the first instance in a long and vital history of printing in america. More than 1,700 versions of the book were rolled out at the time, but only 11 are.
Thats a wrap the bay psalm book, the first book ever printed in british america, and the first book ever written in america. Originally, the colonys residents looked to a committee of thirty men led by john eliot, thomas welde, and richard mather to translate all 150 psalms from hebrew into english. Thats a wrap the battered bay psalm book is just 6in by 5in, riddled with printing errors and poorly bound. The bay psalm book was the first book to be printed in north america, twenty years after the arrival of the pilgrims in massachusetts. Check out the new look and enjoy easier access to your favorite features. The book is a metrical psalter, first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts.
The bay psalm book is believed to be the first book printed in what is. Billionaire david rubenstein buys colonial bay psalm book for. The bay psalm book sets world record at auction us news. Open hotel alert is an app to help you get a room at a sold out hotel. The bay psalm book is the first book to be published in the us, one of only eleven surviving copies of the volume printed in cambridge, ma. At the time this was also the highest price paid anywhere for a. If you receive a no availability message when you try to book a hotel room online, its time to go old school and pick up the telephone. Kings sons might be looking to sell their fathers bible and nobel prize medal for. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into. It was transferred to the huntington library as part of the establishment gift.
Census of copies of the bay psalm book, with provenance, sale. A tiny book of psalms, printed in colonial america in 1640 when digital referred to nothing more than fingers and toes has been sold for about. It was the first book printed in british north america. The bay psalm book is a metrical psalter, first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. Surprising facts you never knew about the bible readers digest. 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. The bay psalm book, believed to be the first book published in what became the united states, was sold on tuesday at sothebys in manhattan. The first book printed in what later became the united states of america is expected to set a world record at auction on tuesday. Jan 29, 2017 the whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated in to english metre 1640 also known as the bay psalm book was the first book length publication in the north american colonies. Rubenstein said, i appreciate the hard work of jim billington and the library of congress professionals in organizing this exhibition. Richard mather and a group of his fellow new england clergy transcribed biblical psalms into metered verse. To the chief musician, a psalm of david 1 the heavens do declare the majesty of god. Today, only eleven copies are still in existence and fetch as much as fourteen million dollars at auction, making it also the most expensive book in the world. The bay psalm book, printed just twenty years after the pilgrims arrival.
These are some of the worlds most expensive books ceoworld. Believed to be the first book published in the us, the work became the most expensive printed book after it was. Huntington acquired a large portion of churchs library, including the bay psalm book. The whole booke of psalmes, or the bay psalm book, as it is now known, is expected to sell for.
The book in question is one of the 1,700 copies printed in the year 1640 by the pilgrims who had come from england and settled in plymouth, massachusetts. Kings sons might be looking to sell their fathers bible and nobel prize medal for a much larger sum. Printed in 1640, its considered to be the first book. All the usual suspects abound, the authentication of a famous old book is integral to the plot, theres a villain you love to hate, and a hero whos a. It will go on display in libraries across the united states. As the first printed book in america, the bay psalm book was an early harbinger of american independence. These two copies of the text are together for the first time since they were separated long ago. In recent years, a new generation of scholars has returned to the book, seeing it from fresh perspectivesas a social document, for example, and as a physical artifact of early american life in the massachusetts bay area. Bay psalm book, the article about bay psalm book, the by. The bay psalm book, formally titled the whole book of psalmes faithfully translated into english metre 1640, was the first book printed on angloamerican soil. December 4, 20 rns1nov20 for the first time since 1947, and only the second time since the nineteenth century, a copy of the first book printed in america will be sold at auction.
Bay psalm book the worlds most expensive book that sold. A book of psalms which is amongst the first books ever printed in america is on the way to become the most expensive book ever sold. Bay psalme book article about bay psalme book by the. It happened again with the second and third hotels. The book, one of 11 copies that have survived in various. Printed in cambridge, massachusetts, on a press set up by stephen day, it included a dissertation on the lawfulness and. Bay psalm book article about bay psalm book by the free. 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 for instance, old 100th. Aaargh how to get a room at a soldout hotel pick up the phone. The puritan divines of the massachusetts bay colony set out to produce a translation from the hebrew that was reflective. Nov 27, 20 it is one of 11 copies known to remain in existence out of about 1,700 copies originally printed. It was acquired by an antique book store in boston in 1872. The digital bay psalm book gives scholars, researchers, and enthusiasts alike a rich and intimate experience of the book. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Our new desktop experience was built to be your music destination. Together, they served to disseminate puritan values for over a hundred years. Of its two copies of the bay psalm book, only one belongs to the prince collection so i assume that its the other that will go on the market, for. Bay psalm book, 1640, perhaps the oldest book now in existence that was published in british north america. The bay psalm book is valued not only as an object of extreme rarity, but also as a symbol of a future nations identity.