America's First Bible Sells For £105,000

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One of only three known the 1777 the Aitken New Testament was sold today at Bloomsbury Auctions for £105,000.

‘We are very excited to offer the first New Testament to be printed on American soil,’ said Rupert Powell, Deputy Chairman of Bloomsbury Auctions. ‘Printed in Philadelphia in 1777 the Aitken New Testament is of landmark importance in American history and a cornerstone of American culture, as it predates the renowned Aitken Bible by four years and only two other copies are known in the world.’

From the 16th century the English translation of the bible was licensed by the monarch as a monopoly, so America did not print its own version until after the Declaration of Independence from The Kingdom of Great Britain (4th July 1776), when Britain cut off the supply of the King James bible.

1777 saw the publication of the Aitken New Testament, The New Testament Of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: Newly Translated out of the Original Greek; and with the former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised. Published by the Scot Robert Aitken in Front Street Philadelphia, this may well have been regarded as an ‘experiment’ or precursor to the Aitken Bible of 1781 as few copies were printed and indeed only two are known in the world today, both in American institutional libraries.