The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth - Hardcover

The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth - Smithsonian Edition

The Jefferson Bible, formally titled The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, represents Thomas Jefferson's personal effort to extract what he considered the essential teachings of Jesus. The third president of the United States removed sections of the New Testament containing supernatural aspects and perceived misinterpretations he believed had been added by the Four Evangelists.

Jefferson's Meticulous Creation Process

Using a razor, Jefferson cut and arranged selected verses from the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in chronological order. He mingled excerpts from one text to another to create a single, cohesive narrative. After completing The Life and Morals around 1820, Jefferson shared it with friends but never published it during his lifetime. The most complete form Jefferson produced was inherited by his grandson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph, and was published in 1895 by the National Museum in Washington.

First Complete Color Facsimile Edition

Once published in black-and-white facsimile by the Government Printing Office in 1900 as a gift for new members of Congress, the Jefferson Bible has never before been published in color in its complete form. The Jefferson Bible, Smithsonian Edition is an exact facsimile reproduction based on the original copy in the Smithsonian collections. This edition preserves the beauty of Jefferson's painstakingly crafted original work.

About Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States, most wanted to be remembered as the author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom, and father of the University of Virginia.