The first book written and printed in the New World, the Bay Psalm Book holds a unique place in our cultural history. A group of New England Clergy, believed led by Richard Mather, transcribed psalms into metered verse and, in 1640, printed it in Cambridge, Mass. Originals are extremely rare. With this reproduction of the first edition, the earliest book published in America will finally be available again to a modern audience.

For the settlers who landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620, singing psalms in praise of God was a fundamental part of worship. Unsatisfied with existing translations (which they felt put more stake in poetry than piety) the pilgrims elected a panel of 30 clergymen, including well-known ministers Richard Mather, John Eliot, and Thomas Weld, to put together a new translation. In 1640, they produced The Bay Psalm Book-the first book ever published in the American Colonies. The authentic prose remains lyrical and lovely as it carries the Puritans' simple message of God's grace.