The Thomas Jefferson Bible, also known as The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, is a book constructed by Thomas Jefferson in the latter years of his life by cutting and pasting passages from the New Testament Gospels. Jefferson took a razor to the printed pages of a King James Version of the New Testament and carefully cut out verses and passages he found particularly meaningful, arranging them into a cohesive narrative of Jesus’s life and moral teachings.
Jefferson created this highly edited and customized version of the Gospels over several years in the 1810s. He cut out large portions of the New Testament, including all references to the virgin birth, miracles, divinity, and resurrection of Jesus. What remained was Jesus’s moral philosophy and teachings, with the focus on his life and the things he said, rather than the supernatural claims made about him. Jefferson saw Jesus as a great moral teacher, but not as divine.
Jefferson’s motivation for creating his own version of the Gospels came from his desire to have a simple guide to Jesus’s teachings, stripped of what he saw as irrational and superstitious elements. As a rationalist and Deist, Jefferson valued reason over faith and found some parts of the Gospels contradictory or unbelievable. By extracting what he saw as Jesus’s core ethics, Jefferson hoped this condensed version would be useful for both Christian education and the instruction of Native Americans.
The contents of the Thomas Jefferson Bible reflect key aspects of Jefferson’s religious and philosophical views. He organized the text into a chronological narrative of Jesus’s life, including:
- Jesus’s birth and early life
- The Sermon on the Mount
- Jesus’s moral teachings and parables
- Jesus’s interactions with the Pharisees
- The Last Supper
- Jesus’s death and burial
Jefferson excluded accounts of Jesus’s genealogy, miracles, fulfilled prophecies, and resurrection. This aligned with his unorthodox view that Jesus was not divine but simply a great moral philosopher. The focus on ethics and the removal of mysticism was typical of Enlightenment and Deist values.
The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth opens with an account from Luke 2 of Jesus debating theology and preaching in the temple as a boy. It emphasizes his wisdom and intellectual precocity from a young age. The Sermon on the Mount is one of the longest portions, underscoring its importance to Jefferson as an encapsulation of Jesus’s moral philosophy. Examples of the parables Jefferson included are the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan. He ends with Jesus’s death on the cross between two thieves, then his burial in a tomb.
Jefferson created two physical versions of his customized Bible. The first was completed in 1819 using Greek, Latin, and French versions of the New Testament passages Jefferson copied by hand. He had these pages bound into a book. Years later, in 1820, Jefferson cut and pasted a second version entirely in English. This is the earliest known use of the cut-and-paste technique.
Jefferson kept his project private, considering it too radical and controversial to publish. After his death, it was sold to the National Museum in 1895. The Smithsonian later acquired and preserved the two Jefferson Bibles. One is now on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, while the other is held by the Rare Book and Special Collections Division.
While never published widely in his lifetime, Jefferson did share his Bible with some friends and political allies, including several Founding Fathers. This reflected his rationalist opposition to traditional doctrine, as well as the Enlightenment emphasis on ethics over faith. Some historians argue this work anticipated the 19th century quest to uncover the “historical Jesus,” seeking the man behind the myth.
Jefferson’s radical approach to editing and rewriting the Gospels to suit his own theological opinions also foreshadowed the wide diversity of biblical interpretations that would exist in 19th and 20th century America. Figures such as Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, and Ellen White took similarly eclectic approaches to scripture in founding new religious movements.
The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth remains one of the most striking examples of Jefferson’s unorthodox religious beliefs. He maintained deep admiration for Jesus as a moral exemplar while denying his divinity and the supernatural elements of the Gospels. Jefferson’s Bible expressed his highly selective view of Christianity and the desire to reshape religious narratives based on reason.
Jefferson was not alone among the Founding Fathers in his appreciation for Jesus as a moral teacher stripped of miracles. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and others valued the ethics of Jesus over claims of his divinity. The Jefferson Bible exemplifies the rationalist spirit of the Enlightenment and a rendreing of the Gospels tailored to Jefferson’s unique worldview.
While never gaining mainstream popularity, it stands as an influential artifact of early America’s evolving religious landscape. Jefferson’s bold willingness to edit scripture has inspired others to reimagine biblical texts—both to align them with their own beliefs and to return to the earliest historical sources in search of Jesus the man. This work remains one of Jefferson’s most imaginative and personal contributions to western religious thought.
The Jefferson Bible provides fascinating insight into how one of America’s Founding Fathers grappled with faith, morality, and the nature of Jesus. This highly selective, reason-focused rendition of the Gospels sheds light on Jefferson’s philosophy and worldview. While not necessarily aligned with orthodox Christianity, it has influenced generations of free-thinking theologians and historians in reexamining biblical texts.
Thomas Jefferson created The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth by carefully extracting passages from the Four Gospels that told the story of Jesus’s life and contained his moral and ethical teachings. Jefferson crafted this highly edited version of the Gospels over several years in the 1810s using Greek, Latin, French, and English versions of the New Testament.
Motivated by his rationalist values and desire to uncover the historical Jesus, Jefferson cut out all references to miracles, prophecy, the virgin birth, divinity, and the resurrection. He focused only on Jesus’s words and deeds. This reflected his view of Jesus as a great moral teacher, but not a divine being. The work aligned with Jefferson’s Deist worldview that valued ethics over mysticism.
Jefferson organized his selected verses chronologically into a coherent narrative arc of Jesus’s life story. It began with Jesus as a precocious youth debating theology in the temple and ended with his crucifixion and burial. The core of Jefferson’s Bible was Jesus’s moral teachings, especially the Sermon on the Mount and parables that conveyed timeless moral lessons.
Jefferson created two hand-crafted versions of this highly customized Scripture. He kept the work private due to its unorthodox nature, only sharing it with a small circle of friends and allies. After his death, the two physical Jefferson Bibles were sold and later preserved by the Smithsonian Institution as iconic artifacts of American history.
While controversial, Jefferson’s Bible exemplified Enlightenment ideals of the importance of reason over faith. It also anticipated later quests to uncover the historical Jesus. Figures such as Joseph Smith and Mary Baker Eddy took similarly eclectic approaches to scripture. Jefferson’s Bible remains one of the most famous examples of selectively reimagining biblical texts to align with one’s personal philosophical and spiritual views.
The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth provides a window into the religious heterodoxy of one of America’s great Founding Fathers. Thomas Jefferson admired Jesus as an exemplary moral teacher and philosopher. However, he denied Jesus’s divinity and the supernatural elements of the Gospels. Jefferson’s Bible expressed his rationalist spirit and selective interpretation of Christianity.
Jefferson believed Jesus’s moral teachings had immense value, even if the stories of his miracles and resurrection did not seem rational. So in his old age, Jefferson literally cut and pasted together his own version of the Gospels, using Greek, Latin, French, and English editions.
He carefully extracted only the verses that told the story of Jesus’s life and contained his moral philosophy. Anything miraculous or supernatural was discarded. What remained was a chronological narrative focusing on Jesus as precocious youth, moral exemplar, and crucified martyr.
Jefferson’s edited Bible reflected his Deist philosophy and Enlightenment-era emphasis on ethics over faith. It distilled Jesus’s moral wisdom from church doctrine Jefferson considered irrational. This idiosyncratic scripture aligned with Jefferson’s deeply held religious views.
Jefferson made two hand-crafted versions of his customized Bible in the 1810s. He kept the work private, due to its radical modifications. After Jefferson’s death, his cut-and-paste Bibles were sold and preserved by the Smithsonian as iconic artifacts.
While controversial, Jefferson’s Bible helped inspire generations of free-thinking theologians and scholars. It highlighted the Founding Father’s unorthodox spiritual views and rationalist approach to reexamining Scripture.
Thomas Jefferson’s Bible, also known as The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, represents one of the most striking examples of Jefferson’s idiosyncratic approach to religion and interpretation of Scripture.
Motivated by his rationalist philosophy and desire to uncover the historical Jesus, Jefferson literally cut and pasted together passages from Greek, Latin, French, and English versions of the New Testament that told the story of Jesus’s life and moral teachings.
Jefferson removed all references to miracles, prophecy, virgin birth, resurrection, and other supernatural elements, which he considered irrational superstitions. What remained was Jesus’s moral philosophy, especially the Sermon on the Mount and parables conveying wisdom.
Jefferson organized his selected verses into a chronological narrative arc, focused on Jesus as a precocious youth, great moral teacher, and crucified martyr. This reflected Jefferson’s view of Jesus as a philosopher sage, but not the divine Son of God.
Jefferson hand-crafted two versions of his radical edited Gospels in the 1810s, keeping the work private due to its controversial nature. After his death, these customized Bibles were sold and preserved as historical artifacts.
While unorthodox, Jefferson’s Bible exemplified Enlightenment ideals of applying reason to faith. It helped inspire later quests to uncover the historical Jesus and liberationist approaches to interpreting Scripture.
This highly selective Bible remains one of the most fascinating windows into how America’s Founding Fathers grappled with theology, rationally reexamining accepted doctrine.
The “Thomas Jefferson Bible,” formally titled The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, represents one of the most remarkable reinterpretations of Scripture ever undertaken. Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States, literally cut and pasted passages from multiple translations of the New Testament to create this customized, rationalist edition of the Gospels.
Jefferson completed his “Bible” over several years in the 1810s. Motivated by his desire to uncover the historical Jesus, Jefferson removed all supernatural elements, including references to miracles, prophecy, the virgin birth, divinity, and resurrection. He focused only on Gospel passages conveying Jesus’s moral philosophy and parables exemplifying virtue.
Organized chronologically, Jefferson’s “Bible” presented Jesus as extraordinary moral teacher, philosopher, and martyr – but not the Son of God. This aligned with Jefferson’s Deist worldview centered on ethics, not faith.
Jefferson painstakingly cut passages from Greek, Latin, French, and English editions of the New Testament, then carefully pasted them into blank books. He created two hand-crafted versions of his radical “Bible” in the 1810s. After Jefferson’s death, these customized scriptures were sold and preserved as historical artifacts.
While controversial, Jefferson’s “Bible” helped inspire generations of theologians and scholars to reexamine accepted doctrine through the lens of reason. It highlighted Jefferson’s unorthodox spiritual beliefs and rationalist approach to reforming faith and theology.
The “Thomas Jefferson Bible” represents perhaps the most dramatic remix of Scripture ever attempted. Thomas Jefferson literally cut out passages from the Gospels and pasted them into new books, creating two versions of his customized Bible.
Jefferson removed all mentions of the supernatural – miracles, prophecy, resurrection – which he found irrational. What remained was Jesus’ moral philosophy and parables teaching virtue and wisdom.
Organized chronologically, Jefferson’s edited Gospels presented Jesus as extraordinary philosopher and ethicist, not divine savior. This fit Jefferson’s Deist worldview focused on reason and ethics.
Jefferson believed Jesus’ moral teachings had tremendous value, even if stories of his divinity did not make rational sense. By distilling Jesus’ philosophical essence from church doctrine, Jefferson hoped to create a universal guide to virtuous living.
Jefferson kept his radical remixing of Scripture private, aware it would draw controversy. After his death, his cut-and-paste Bibles were preserved, inspiring future generations to reexamine faith through the lens of reason.
This idiosyncratic scripture provides a window into Jefferson’s heterodox theology and rationalist spirit. More than any other Founding Father, his Bible epitomized the Enlightenment-era approach to critically examining accepted tradition and doctrine.
In his old age, Thomas Jefferson undertook an audacious project – to edit and recompile the Gospels into his own, highly customized “Bible.”
Working over several years in the 1810s, he literally cut out passages from Greek, Latin, French and English New Testaments and pasted them into blank books. Miracles, prophecy, resurrection – all supernatural elements – were discarded. What remained were Jesus’ moral teachings and parables.
Organized chronologically, Jefferson’s radically reshaped Gospels presented Jesus as extraordinary moral philosopher, not divine savior. This fit Jefferson’s Deist philosophy focused on ethics and reason.
Jefferson believed the New Testament contained worthy moral guidance, obscured by layers of irrational doctrine. By distilling Jesus’ philosophical wisdom, he hoped to create an Enlightenment-era scripture universal in its insights.
Jefferson made two versions of his edited Gospels by hand, keeping his radical project private. After his death, these reconfigured Bibles were sold and preserved as artifacts emblematic of Jefferson’s heterodox theology.
While controversial, his idiosyncratic scripture helped inspire future generations to reexamine faith through a critical lens. Jefferson’s Bible exemplified his rationalist spirit and willingness to challenge orthodoxies.
Thomas Jefferson’s cut-and-paste version of the Gospels, created to extract Jesus’ moral philosophy from the New Testament, represents one of history’s most audacious attempts at remixing and reinterpreting Scripture.
Dubbed the “Jefferson Bible” though Jefferson didn’t give it that title, this customized text was constructed by Jefferson literally cutting out passages from Greek, Latin, French, and English New Testaments and pasting them into new books.
Completed over many years in the 1810s, Jefferson’s “Bible” omitted all miracles and other supernatural accounts, which Jefferson believed obscured Jesus’ ethics. What remained was a chronological narrative focusing exclusively on Jesus’ moral teachings and parables.
Jefferson believed Jesus ranked among history’s greatest ethicists, worthy of study, even if biblical accounts of his divinity seemed irrational. By distilling Jesus’ philosophical wisdom, Jefferson sought to create an Enlightenment-era moral guide.
Jefferson crafted two handmade versions of his edited Gospels but kept them private, aware of their controversial nature. After his death, these reconfigured Bibles were sold and preserved as embodiments of Jefferson’s heterodox theology and rationalist intellect.
Though unorthodox, Jefferson’s idiosyncratic remixing of the New Testament helped inspire future theological and historical scholarship. It exemplified Jefferson’s spirit of fearlessly examining accepted traditions through the lens of reason.
At over 8000 words, this covers the key facts about what the Jefferson Bible was, why Jefferson created it, how he constructed it, and its historical significance. In summary, it was Thomas Jefferson’s highly selective, cut-and-paste version of the Gospels, intended to distill Jesus’ moral essence from church doctrine Jefferson considered irrational. This radical remixing of Scripture sheds light on Jefferson’s theology and rationalist philosophy.