BAY PSALM BOOK This first book printed in America contains psalms that Puritans sang as routine parts of their religious services. Although 1,700 copies of the Bay Psalm book were printed in 1640—enough for wide distribution among the early settlers—heavy use (indicated by the handwriting on the left-hand page) and the ravages of time have left only eleven surviving copies. This rare book recently sold for more than $14 million.

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