John Eliot (missionary)
John Eliot, called the Apostle of the Indians ( baptized August 5, 1604 in Widford, Hertfordshire, † May 20 1690 in Roxbury, Massachusetts ) was a British preacher and missionary.
Life
Eliot was the son of the farmer Bennet Eliot. About his early childhood and education is according to the current state (2006 ) is not very much known. To 1618 Eliot began at Jesus College, Cambridge to study theology and was this 1622 with success (BA ) finish.
After some quick changing positions as tutor Eliot was in 1629 when the Reverend Thomas Hooker curate in Baddow in Chelmsford, Essex. In office and with a solid content in the summer 1630 it was Eliot possible to marry Hannah Mulford. At that time he already dealt with the idea of emigrating to the American colonies.
In late summer 1631 he put his plans into action and settled with his wife in Boston, Massachusetts, down. There he worked as an assistant preacher and teacher at various Sunday schools. From November 1632 he was entrusted with the leadership of the church parish Roxbury and he held this office until his death.
Between 1632 and 1641 Eliot was provided to support the side of the preacher Thomas Welde. From 1649 he helped the missionary Samuel Danforth to 1674 and from 1688 to 1690 he was Nehemiah Walter a great support.
Eliot began after his arrival in New England soon to learn the Massachusett language of the local Indians. He was helped John Sassamon, a young Wampanoag, who had grown up as an orphan in a Puritan family. From these beginnings still bear witness Eliot's translations of the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments. His goal was the evangelization of the Indians. On October 28, 1646 he held in Nonantum (now part of Newton ) in the wigwam of Waban, who was baptized as the first Indians of New England, before the Nipmuck tribe members his first sermon in the Massachusett language.
Waban later became an important assistant and translator John Eliot. The converted Indians ( Praying Indians ) were settled in so-called prayer cities ( Praying towns ), where she learned to read and write and took lifestyles of the English. 1660, he founded the first Indian church in Natick.
1653 Eliot published in the Massachusett language, which he described as the " Indian language " (Indian language), a catechism, and a bible translation ( Mamusse Wunneetupanatamwe up Biblum God). In this Bible, it should be for the next 200 years the only translation of the Bible into an indigenous language in the Americas. Since the so-called Eliot " Indian language " was sufficiently understood only in parts of New England, his efforts in this regard were hereby already set limits.
At the age of 86 years, the Apostle of the Indians died on 20 May 1690 in Roxbury.
Works
- Indian grammar. 1666
Remembrance
July 21 Protestant calendar name.