The Jefferson Bible

By Thomas Jefferson

In 1804 Thomas Jefferson decided to study the gospels to see if he could distill the essence of Jesus' teachings into a concise book that could be quickly read and easily understood. This volume is the result, offering valuable insights into the teachings of Jesus Christ and into the mind and beliefs of Thomas Jefferson.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Start Publishing LLC
• Release date: Mar 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781625582355

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was the 3rd president of the United States. William Peden is professor emeritus of English at the University of Missouri.

Book preview

The Jefferson Bible:

The Life and Morals of

Jesus of Nazareth

Thomas Jefferson

Start Publishing LLC

Copyright © 2012 by Start Publishing LLC

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

First Start Publishing eBook edition October 2012

Start Publishing is a registered trademark of Start Publishing LLC

Manufactured in the United States of America

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ISBN 978-1-62558-235-5

Table of Contents

Preface

Religious Views of Thomas Jefferson

The Jefferson Bible

I. Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem, Where Jesus is Born

II. He is Circumcised and Named and they Return to Nazareth

III. At Twelve Years of Age He Accompanies his Parents to Jerusalem and Returns

IV. John Baptizes in Jordan

V. Jesus is Baptized at 30 Years of Age

VI. Drives the Traders Out of the Temple

VII. He Baptizes, but Retires into Galilee on the Death of John

VIII. He Teaches in the Synagogue

IX. Explains the Sabbath

X. Call of His Disciples

XI. The Sermon on the Mount

XII. Exhorts

XIII. A Woman Annointeth Him

XIV. Precepts

XV. Parable of the Rich Man

XVI. Precepts

XVII. Parable of the Fig Tree

XVIII. Precepts

XIX. Parable of the Sower

XX. Precepts

XXI. Parable of the Tares

XXII. Precepts

XXIII. Parable of New Wine in Old Bottles

XXIV. A Prophet Hath no Honor in his Own Country

XXV. Mission Instructions, Return of Apostles

XXVI. Precepts

XXVII. Parable of the Wicked Servant

XXVIII. Mission of the Seventy

XXIX. The Feast of the Tabernacles

XXX. The Woman Taken in Adultery

XXXI. To be Born Blind No Proof of Sin

XXXII. The Good Shepherd

XXXIII. Love God and Thy Neighbour; Parable of the Samaritan

XXXIV. Form of Prayer

XXXV. The Sabbath

XXXVI. The Bidden to a Feast

XXXVII. Precepts

XXXVIII. Parables of the Lost Sheep and Prodigal Son

XXXIX. Parable of the Unjust Steward

XL. Parable of Lazarus

XLI. Precepts to be Always Ready

XLII. Parables of the Widow and Judge, the Pharisee and Publican

XLIII. Precepts

XLIV. Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard

XLV. Zacchaeus, and the Parable of the Talents

XLVI. Goes to Jerusalem and Bethany

XLVII. The Traders Cast Out from the Temple

XLVIII. Parable of the Two Sons

XLIX. Parable of the Vineyard and Husbandmen

L. Parable of the King and the Wedding

XL. Tribute, Marriage, Resurrection

LII. The Two Commandments

LIII. Precepts, Pride, Hypocrisy, Swearing

LIV. The Widow's Mite

LV. Jerusalem and the Day of Judgment

LVI. The Faithful and Wise Servant

LVII. Parable of the Ten Virgins

LVIII. Parable of the Talents

LIX. The Day of Judgment

LX. A Woman Anointeth Him

LXI. Judas Undertakes to Point Out Jesus

XLII. Precepts to His Disciples, Washes their Feet. Trouble of Mindand Prayer.

LXIII. Judas Conducts the Officers to Jesus

LXIV. He is Arrested and Carried Before Caiaphas, the High Priest and is Condemned

LXV. Is then Carried to Pilate

LXVI. Who Sends Him to Herod

LXVII. Receives Him Back, Scourges and Delivers Him to Execution

LXVIII. His Crucifixion, Death, and Burial

LXIX. His Burial

Preface

In 1803, while overwhelmed with other business, Mr. Jefferson cut from the evangelists such passages as he believed would best present the ethical teaching of Jesus, and arranged them, on the pages of a blank book, in a certain order of time or subject. He called it The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth, extracted from the account of his life and doctrines, as given by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; being an abridgment of the New Testament for the use of the Indians, unembarrassed with matters of fact or faith beyond the level of their comprehension. In a letter to his friend, Mr. Charles Thompson, after describing this work, he said: If I had time I would add to my little book the Greek, Latin and French texts in columns, side by side. Some time afterwards he carried out the design thus expressed, giving the texts in the four languages, in a handsome morocco-bound volume, labeled on the back 'Morals of Jesus.' This is the volume called The Jefferson Bible, which is now owned by the Government, and the publication of which has been recently ordered by Congress. While this volume was still in the possession of Mr. Jefferson's oldest grandson, Colonel Thomas Jefferson Randolph, an accurate copy of its table of contents was made, and from that copy the English text is reproduced in the following pages. As a fit introduction to it, a letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush, and a comparison of the doctrines of Jesus with those of others, are published, giving, perhaps, the fullest expression of his religious views ever made by Mr. Jefferson himself.

Say nothing of my religion. It is known to my God and myself alone. Its evidence before the world is to be sought in my life; if that has been honest and dutiful to society, the religion which has regulated it cannot be a bad one.

—Thomas Jefferson.

Religious Views of Thomas Jefferson

In a letter to his daughter, written in 1803, Mr. Jefferson said: A promise made to a friend some years ago, but executed only lately, has placed my religious creed on paper. I have thought it just that my family, by possessing this, should be enabled to estimate the libels published against me on this, as on every other possible subject. The religious creed to which he referred was a comparison of the doctrines of Jesus with those of others, prepared in fulfillment of a promise made to Dr. Benjamin Rush. This paper, with the letter to Dr. Rush which accompanied it is a fit introduction to the Jefferson Bible.

The Jefferson Bible

I. Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem, Where Jesus is Born

AND it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

2 (And this taxing ways first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of

David, which is called Bethlehem, (because he was of the house and lineage of David,)

5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

II. He is Circumcised and Named and They Return to Nazareth

AND when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS.

2 And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth.

III. At Twelve Years of Age He Accompanies His Parents to Jerusalem and Returns

AND the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

2 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.

3 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.

4 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.

5 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.

6 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking

Reviews for The Jefferson Bible

[jen6e6moore · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I picked this up because it was recommended to me as "Jesus without the magic," which it turns out is not quite what it is (nor quite what I was interested in). But like any "best of" list, the most entertaining part of this is arguing with the selections -- "divorce is adultery" is in (twice!) but not the loaves and the fishes? I get wanting to take out the miracles, but in the process Jefferson's managed to remove everything that made it sound like the guy had a sense of humor. I was prepared to be annoyed by duplication, but it turns out that putting in the same story told in different gospels gives a remarkable effect of veracity.

[razinha-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

President Kennedy said something during a dinner honoring Nobel laureates about it being the greatest gathering of intelligence in that room since Jefferson dined alone. Mr. Jefferson had a good idea here, cutting out everything he thought to be unnatural (the more common, if incorrect, term is "super"natural). I wonder if he believed anything of his end product, of if he just passed it on without applying critical thinking. He was not without flaws.

I've decided that part of my reading track for 2016 will be Books I Should Have Read Already. This is the first. Am I enriched? Not very. I've already read the source material (not primary source material...those don't exist) in multiple versions.

[dyarington_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book will be a forever classic. I'm so glad I was able to get a first edition from Amazon.

[joshua7pelton7stroud · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The Jefferson Bible is basically a distilling of the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, removing (most of) the miraculous acts and focusing instead on the words and teachings of Jesus. In this it succeeds quite well, though the language is old and in some places a little hard to follow. The one thing I felt really hampered the book was the amount of repetition; when reading the New Testament, you don't really get a feel for how often Jesus says the same things over and over again, but nearly each parable related is told twice, making it a tad bit monotonous.Over all, it is a good, short refining for those more interested in the message Jesus spent his life trying to convey; almost an early American "Cliff's Notes" of the Bible, more than a treatise on the scripture itself. I would like to see it modernized a bit, with the language brought up to date and the repetition cut down.

[stretch_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Finally, I have finished The Jefferson Bible, only took me two years to read a 169 page book. It's not for the lack on content or boring subject, I just kept losing my place over and over and over again... It's hard to find any organization that the original text had since Jefferson literally did a cut and paste job to produce this book, so I kept getting lost trying to follow the chapter verse layout.Thomas Jefferson worked for a couple restless nights in Washington carefully extracting bible passages from the gospels to revile the true essence of religion; collecting them into a single common sense gospel narrative. A brilliant and enlightening take on the essential heart of the teachings of Jesus of absolute love and service to others. Mr. Jefferson eliminated the virgin birth, the miraculous healings, and the resurrection, leaving only the essential teachings and a very human biography of Jesus.I found it fascinating to see which passages Jefferson felt were the correct telling of Jesus's life and what could be discarded. Then to try to piece those passages into a coherent biography. I think Jefferson did an admirable job, but parts still don't seem to fit quite right, often redundant information is conveyed in several places. I think that has far more to do with the structure of the gospels themselves then with Jefferson's edits. Overall, I feel this is one of the best ways to understand and grasp the true teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

[jbd1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Smithsonian Edition provides a nicely-done facsimile of the original "Jefferson Bible," accompanied by a historical essay by Harry Rubenstein and Barbara Clark Smith and a piece on the conservation of the volume by Janice Stagnitto Ellis. Rubenstein and Smith provide useful background on Jefferson's project and its origins, and Ellis offers a neat perspective on the steps taken to preserve the original volume and make it accessible for exhibition and research. Much different from other editions of the work I've seen, this facsimile helpfully provides the original context, showing the Greek, Latin, French, and English versions side-by-side as Jefferson placed them.

[midlevelbureaucrat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The gospels according to noted deist, Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson took the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, arranged them in chronological order to form a single narrative and expunged the miracles, creating an interpretation of the life of Jesus as a guide and teacher, not necessarily as the son incarnate. There's virtually no introduction to this edition; no historical context provided by the editor. Would've been nice to have one.

[kaulsu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is what it is. No miracles, no supernatural acts. This Jesus of Nazareth speaks with a sparseness and type of authority that convinces better than waiting for water to turn to wine. I place more value in this attempt to uncover the real Christ than I do in the Jesus Seminar theologians "votes." Especially helpful are the citations at the end of the book.

[thebentley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Really interesting--not only the history of the book and of Jefferson's philosophy but actually the Bible itself. It's interesting to read the French text alongside the English (unfortunately, I can't read Greek or Latin), and it's also interesting to read just the moral philosophy of Christianity with the supernatural completely removed. I actually found that portion of the book much more engaging than I thought I would. Well worth the read.

[berthashaver · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Basically a "copy and paste" version of the highlights of the four gospels without all the repetition. It is a very short, condensed version of Christ's life starting with the birth of Jesus, goes through his childhood, selecting the diciples, beatitudes, Lord's prayer, and several of the more famous parables - the widow's mite, the adulteress, the good samaritan, the ten virgins. ends with the last supper and the crucifixion. Not a work of scripture that I would study intently or read again, but it was ok for a brief overview of the life of Christ.

[mreed61 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Truly a fast read. I think all the essentials for following in Christ's path can be found here. I have always thought Jefferson was a little misunderstood by those who have generally read history, and much maligned by those who didn't dig deeper. Those who didn't dig deeper really don't have much of an understanding of theism and its break from religion and religious practices.

[sunnydale_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thomas Jefferson was a Deist who believed in a distant "watchmaker" God. He revered Jesus as a great teacher, but rejected the supernatural events added to the gospels by authors who lived after Jesus died and never met him. "I hold the precepts of Jesus, as delivered by himself, to be the most pure, benevolent, and sublime which have ever been preached to man," Jefferson wrote. "I adhere to the principles of the first age; and consider all subsequent innovations as corruptions of his religion, having no foundation in what came from him."Jefferson endeavored to find a way to read Jesus's teachings without being irritated by the parts of the Bible he considered false. So with scissors and paste he cut the gospels up and made his own version of the Bible that included only the words attributed to Jesus, without the miracles or other supernatural trappings. The result is a small book of elegant simplicity and much worth.

[darthdeverell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In his forward, Brent D. Glass writes, “By removing all references to superstition and the supernatural, Jefferson made clear his admiration of Jesus as a great teacher and moral philosopher while, at the same time, reaffirming his belief in and commitment to the power of reason as the basis for understanding life and the natural world” (pg. 7). Since all interpretations of the Bible are now biased by what the reader wants to find within its pages, it’s refreshing to see such an honest edit to a book that has undergone innumerable edits, translations, and other changes. According to Harry R. Rubenstein and Barbara Clark Smith, “Left behind in the source material were those elements that [Jefferson] could not support through reason, that he believed were later embellishments, or that seemed superfluous or repetitious across the Four Evangelists’ accounts. Absent are the annunciation, the resurrection, the water being turned to wine, and the multitudes fed on five loaves of bread and two fishes. It essentially offers what the title indicates: a distillation of the teachings of Jesus the moral reformer, combined with what Jefferson accepted as the historical facts pertaining to Jesus the man” (pg. 30). The main text of this facsimile reprint shows Jefferson’s cut-and-paste technique of removing supernatural elements, cleaning up the text to prevent multiple prepositions on the same sentence, and even allowing Jefferson to compare the original Greek text of the four Gospels, alongside their Latin, French, and English translations (pg. 38-39). For the philologist or those looking to see how meaning changed via translation, the work allows them to follow Jefferson’s scholarship. Further, the work represents an early step in scholarship on the historicity of Jesus, making it a must-read for all religious scholars. Finally, the Jefferson Bible offers the unique opportunity to gain insight into the private thoughts of one of the Founding Fathers of the nation who was among the first to articulate freedom of religion.

[terk71 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Inspired by a featured program on History Channel, I purchased this book as a curiosity and as additional Americana for my library. Two introductory articles by members of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History rebroadcast the core information contained on that TV show. An essay by Harry R. Rubenstein (Political Curator) and Barbara Clark Smith (Curator) elaborates upon the history of this publication. Conservation descriptions are expounded by Janice Stagnitto Ellis (Senior Paper Conservator).The subtitle reads: “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth Extracted Textually from the Gospels in Greek, Latin, French & English.” Thomas Jefferson had spent years cutting, aligning, and pasting typeset classical language passages against the English version. His patience and precision in amassing this assemblage are amazing. It has been decades since I could read Greek and Latin with understanding, so I was not able to decipher the first three columns on each page; but, I read the King James English text almost like the Cliff’s Notes version of the New Testament. This version is astonishingly clearer in presenting Christ’s messages. Jefferson has eradicated any confusion that might arise through reading the divergent texts of the four gospel writers. Since Jefferson has eliminated all the evangelical editorial remarks and hearsay from this text, Christ’s preaching parables and moral messages are more focused and remarkably more comprehensible.The inclusions of Jefferson’s handwritten bibliography as well as the folded map of the 18th Century Mediterranean area have added precious connections to this work. The reproductions of clippings, smudges, and handwritten marginalia are ribbons that connect us to hours of intensive effort two centuries ago in Monticello. The faux-leather binding and hard plastic book jacket create an elegant addition to any bookshelf. Paradoxically, this book by a U.S. President and sponsored by a renowned American institution was printed in China. I can appreciate why Jefferson used this book for his daily reflections. This work may become a reader’s breviary or a primer in learning classical languages, but certainly it will sit as an antiquarian acquisition on anyone’s bookshelf.

[bookscatsetc · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's been awhile since I read the New Testament, and I didn't remember Jesus' message being this culty. I guess I'm just more familiar with cult tactics now.