Early Indigenous Literatures

Bible Title Page Annotation 3

John Eliot’s name takes up a significant amount of space, especially in its size since it is much larger than the other words it is situated next to. It is ironic because although the paratexts suggests that the Bible was a singular and individual project conducted by Eliot, that is far from the case because Eliot would have been incapable of completing this translation project on his own. Brooks elaborates on Eliot’s need for assistance, explaining that the “publishing endeavor would have been impossible without young men like James Printer and his peers. Eliot’s benefactors knew his language skills were not strong enough to achieve such an ambitious publishing project, and Eliot himself expressed his need for Native translators.”[1] Eliot’s written demand for assistance is documented within the archives, combatting his singular authorship demonstrated in the paratexts.
 
[1] Lisa Brooks, Our Beloved Kin: A New History of King Philip’s War, (2018), 86.

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