How Thomas Jefferson Created His Own Bible
Thanks to an extensive restoration and conservation process, the public can now see how Jefferson cut and pasted his own version of the Scripture
- By Owen Edwards
- Smithsonian magazine, January 2012, Subscribe
Thomas Jefferson, together with several of his fellow founding fathers, was influenced by the principles of deism, a construct that envisioned a supreme being as a sort of watchmaker who had created the world but no longer intervened directly in daily life. A product of the Age of Enlightenment, Jefferson was keenly interested in science and the perplexing theological questions it raised. Although the author of the Declaration of Independence was one of the great champions of religious freedom, his belief system was sufficiently out of the mainstream that opponents in the 1800 presidential election labeled him a “howling Atheist.”
In fact, Jefferson was devoted to the teachings of Jesus Christ. But he didn’t always agree with how they were interpreted by biblical sources, including the writers of the four Gospels, whom he considered to be untrustworthy correspondents. So Jefferson created his own gospel by taking a sharp instrument, perhaps a penknife, to existing copies of the New Testament and pasting up his own account of Christ’s philosophy, distinguishing it from what he called “the corruption of schismatizing followers.”
The second of the two biblical texts he produced is on display through May 28 at the Albert H. Small Documents Gallery of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History (NMAH) after a year of extensive repair and conservation. “Other aspects of his life and work have taken precedence,” says Harry Rubenstein, chair and curator of the NMAH political history division. “But once you know the story behind the book, it’s very Jeffersonian.”
Jefferson produced the 84-page volume in 1820—six years before he died at age 83—bound it in red leather and titled it The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth. He had pored over six copies of the New Testament, in Greek, Latin, French and King James English. “He had a classic education at [the College of] William & Mary,” Rubenstein says, “so he could compare the different translations. He cut out passages with some sort of very sharp blade and, using blank paper, glued down lines from each of the Gospels in four columns, Greek and Latin on one side of the pages, and French and English on the other.”
Much of the material Jefferson elected to not include related miraculous events, such as the feeding of the multitudes with only two fish and five loaves of barley bread; he eschewed anything that he perceived as “contrary to reason.” His idiosyncratic gospel concludes with Christ’s entombment but omits his resurrection. He kept Jesus’ own teachings, such as the Beatitude, “Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of God.” The Jefferson Bible, as it’s known, is “scripture by subtraction,” writes Stephen Prothero, a professor of religion at Boston University.
The first time Jefferson undertook to create his own version of Scripture had been in 1804. His intention, he wrote, was “the result of a life of enquiry and reflection, and very different from that anti-Christian system, imputed to me by those who know nothing of my opinions.” Correspondence indicates that he assembled 46 pages of New Testament passages in The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth. That volume has been lost. It focused on Christ’s moral teachings, organized by topic. The 1820 volume contains not only the teachings, but also events from the life of Jesus.
The Smithsonian acquired the surviving custom bible in 1895, when the Institution’s chief librarian, Cyrus Adler, purchased it from Jefferson’s great-granddaughter, Carolina Randolph. Originally, Jefferson had bequeathed the book to his daughter Martha.
The acquisition revealed the existence of the Jefferson Bible to the public. In 1904, by act of Congress, his version of Scripture, regarded by many as a newly discovered national treasure, was printed. Until the 1950s, when the supply of 9,000 copies ran out, each newly elected senator received a facsimile Jefferson Bible on the day that legislator took the oath of office. (Disclosure: Smithsonian Books has recently published a new facsimile edition.)
The original book now on view has undergone a painstaking restoration led by Janice Stagnitto Ellis, senior paper conservator at the NMAH. “We re-sewed the binding,” she says, “in such a way that both the original cover and the original pages will be preserved indefinitely. In our work, we were Jefferson-level meticulous.”
“The conservation process,” says Harry Rubenstein, “has allowed us to exhibit the book just as it was when Jefferson last handled it. And since digital pictures were taken of each page, visitors to the exhibition—and visitors to the web version all over the world—will be able to page through and read Jefferson’s Bible just as he did.”
Owen Edwards is a freelance writer and author of the book Elegant Solutions.
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Comments (23)
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Were we to compare the religious writings of ancient cultures, we might find that writers were inventing stories for various reasons. Some of these reasons are laudable and still hold importance today. Other writings have passed into history and all but forgotten. It is the role of the historian to carefully correct misstatements, especially regarding efforts to portray the founding fathers of this country as trying to create a theocracy. This exhibit makes important points in this regard. Might we expect to learn more about the political/religious intents of the founding fathers?
Posted by Peter on April 19,2013 | 05:47 PM
He made a "smaller simple to understand" version to teach the indians with, kind of like what cliff notes are to a book. He thought it was too confusing to them to try and teach it all so instead he took the most important parts so they would understand faster and easier. He also knew later they can get into the original book as long as they have interest and the basics down. So yes he was very intelligent for doing so. People sit around critizing the bible and the different versions but the fact of the matter is that ***God Promised His Word Would Always Stand*** and It Has. The Most Important parts have stood the test of time. Its great it's got all of you talking about it ;)
Posted by Morgan on January 10,2013 | 02:08 AM
Thomas Jefferson proves once again that the more intelligent you are the more secular you become. Perhaps he was critical of the needless magical thinking within the New Testament and other ancient scriptures and chose instead to emphasize the more humanistic qualities and teachings of Jesus that pertain to our real lives. Like America itself, in which our Constitution's ammendments reflect a change of the times and an improvement of a sacred document, Jefferson saw the bible as a similar work in progress.
Posted by David Trock on January 5,2013 | 10:28 PM
When you search this document you find the Jefferson included his second coming (pg. 67) Noe Arc (pg. 48) and God's kingdom (pg.26). I thought Deist did not believe in these things.
Posted by Steve on October 4,2012 | 12:16 PM
I muse at reading so many comments directed toward a "God" of literary genius...we historically know that humans eventually began writing down what oral history preserved over a span of two hundred, that is, after Jesus' death. Then, we also know that the early church fathers began their own systematic cut and paste approach to creating their sanctioned "word of God" document we call The New Testament. Every intelligent, thinking individual can appreciate that translation and interpretation adds to the understanding of a topic not degrades it....Mr. Jefferson got this one right!
Posted by cynthia tobey on March 17,2012 | 10:34 AM
I find it an interesting commentary on our nation, that our President is willing to apologize for the burning of a Koran in another country at the same time we are celebrating the defacing of a Holy Bible in our own. Who apologizes for this? The people offended by it are less likely to kill people because of it, but at least Jefferson himself did not title it as if it were the entire Bible.
I feel deep sorrow that Jefferson felt entitled to pick and choose which parts of the Bible he wanted to keep and omit. I do not feel that it should be celebrated as an act of "enlightenment".
Posted by AJA on March 2,2012 | 12:28 PM
If Thomas Jefferson had defended the whole Holy Bible, the Smithsonian would not be honoring him. As often happens, those who deny essential parts of the Gospel are praised, while those who believe the Holy Bible to be divinely inspired are written off as religious nuts. Yet for all the editing and criticizing, no one has come up with a better way to reform mankind.
Posted by James Corbin on January 15,2012 | 04:11 PM
Were you all under the impression that God actually sat down at his computer desk and wrote the Bible himself? It was all written by human beings who were inspired to put these works into print. and through out history they have been rewritten edited and parts taken out because what was actually written disagreed with someones preferences. So why pick on a devout man who studied and collected the purest forms of the scriptures he could find? especialy when you probably havent even read the one on your shelf!
Posted by brett morgan on January 8,2012 | 02:14 PM
Why don't you guys give this historical document a read? I think you'll find his beliefs aren't so radical by today's standards.
Can you not be more interested in history than you are in passing judgment on famous dead men?
Posted by Andrew Bratcher on January 7,2012 | 12:14 PM
Read Thomas Paine's "Age of Reason". If the Bible had been written by God he most surely would have done a better job. Jefferson, Franklin, Paine and other founding fathers earned the right to believe as they wished.
Posted by Scott Owen on January 6,2012 | 06:45 PM
1 Peter 2:21 "For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."
Revelation 22:18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of this prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.
Proverbs 30:6 Do not add to His words or He will reprove you and you will be proven a liar. New American Standard
Posted by Russell Leuck on January 6,2012 | 04:27 PM
I find that Jefferson felt protective of Christianity during a time of severe religious criticism. He mentioned "that anti-Christian system." Jefferson held on to the teachings of Jesus and rejected the unproven, probably viewing it as sensationalism. He used his own voice of reason to partially reveal the golden thread of truth that can be found equally in most religions. Jefferson may well be the reason this country has maintained its Christian roots. He was a fascinating free thinker and a protector of morals. Imagine the multitudes who are doing just as he did right now on a much broader scale using Google and right click copy, right click paste. Freedom of thought is precious.
Posted by Karen Jaggi on January 6,2012 | 01:25 PM
I agree with Peggy Scholfield's comment on 12/29. The Bible is filled with stories like the Arc that defy reality when thoughts arise of feeding, disposing of waste, presence of carnivores among herbivores, & sheer space alone. This article prompts me to seek a copy of his NT.
Posted by Joe Christoffel on January 6,2012 | 12:31 PM
Perhaps he created his abreviated volume because he was having trouble remembering all the research he did in reading theLatin and Greek translations. I read somewher that it is believed, that counsel that translated and put together the English (kings James version) often deliberately obscured the text in the Bible to make sure the priethood remained necesary. Because if the common man could understand the scripture, then why would common people need the priests at all? I do believe in Jesus and God's intervention in our lives. But I have never found two individuals agree completely on the entire Bible. Nor am I sure they should. It seems to me that GOD directs each person as it is best to complete HIS plan, not ours(man's). This is part of the reason why we have dozens of churches and are not all Catholic.
Posted by Joe on January 6,2012 | 09:45 AM
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