Thomas Jefferson 'Scrapbooked' His Own Bible

How Thomas Jefferson created his own Bible...after taking a razor blade to parts of the gospels he did not agree with

By Daily Mail Reporter

January 17, 2012

Despite being the author of the Declaration of Independence, that didn't stop Thomas Jefferson taking liberties with someone else's work.

The third president of the United States detested some passages of the Bible so much that he decided to make his own version.

The abridged version was known as The Jefferson Bible and has been painstakingly restored by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. 

A new edition of the Jefferson Bible was published by Tarcher this month while the Smithsonian exhibition goes on until May.

Particular passages didn't sit too comfortably with Jefferson - including miracles such as the virgin birth, the resurrection and ascension.

So in 1820, following his two terms as president, Jefferson took a razor blade to six other volumes and patched together his favourite passages before having it bound.

Entitled The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, containing 84 pages, it leaves out key moments to the Christian faith - including the holy ghost and holy trinity.

The Smithsonian said Jefferson left out the passages which he believed to be 'contrary to reason'.

Jefferson drew from all four gospels of the New Testament in Greek, Latin, French and English to tell the story of Jesus' life.

The original book had the passages laid out in four columns and handwritten notes in the margins before the pages were bound into a red Moroccan leather cover. 

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