President-elect Obama to be sworn in using Lincoln Bible

December 23, 9:42 AMDC Art Travel ExaminerMarsha Dubrow

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Rare photo of Lincoln inaugural ©Library of Congress

President-elect Obama will be sworn in on the same Bible Abraham Lincoln used for his first inauguration, the Presidential Inauguration Committee has announced.

Obama will be the first President to be sworn in on the Lincoln Bible since Lincoln used it for his 1861 inauguration. To see photos of his Bible, published in 1853 by Oxford University Press, click here.

Lincoln's inspiration is a major theme for the Obama inauguration in 2009, the bicentennial of Lincoln's birth.

A lock of Lincoln's hair was in a ring Teddy Roosevelt wore at his 1905 inauguration. Seems a soft touch for "Rough Rider" Roosevelt.

Most, but not every President, was sworn in on a Bible -- usually of historic or personal significance. Here are some biblical references from the Library of Congress, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, the White House, and Paul F. Boller, Jr. historian and author of "Presidential Inaugurations" (Harcourt, Inc.).

     -- George Washington in 1789 used a Bible borrowed hastily from St. John's Masonic Lodge No. 1 in New York City. He improvised "so help me God", and kissed the Bible. Many, but not all Presidents, have continued the practice.

     -- John Quincy Adams took the oath not on a bible, but on a volume of U.S. laws In 1825.

     -- Franklin Pierce in 1853 was the only President to "solemnly affirm" the oath of office instead of "solemnly swear" it.

     -- Franklin D. Roosevelt, and all Presidents after him, included "so help me God" in the oath.

     -- Dwight Eisenhower used two Bibles for his first inauguration in 1953: the same one George Washington used for his first inauguration, and Eisenhower's own "West Point Bible".  He used only the West Point one for his second inauguration.

     -- John Fitzgerald Kennedy used his mother's (Fitzgerald) family Bible in 1961.

     -- Jimmy Carter in 1977 used the same Bible Washington used, and also a family Bible.

     -- George H.W. Bush in 1989 also used the Bible Washington used.

     -- Many Presidents used family bibles, and many kissed the Bible.

So much for separation of church and state.

A lawsuit seeking to ban "so help me God" and other references to God, including prayer, at the inaugural ceremonies, was dismissed January 15 in U.S. District Court on Constitution Avenue in Washington. Michael Newdow and others filed the suit, which was similar to his other lawsuits that also failed to ban religious mentions from both of President George W. Bush's inaugurals in 2001 and 2005. 

In a "Washington Post" story on January 18, staff writer Dan Zak stated his opinion, in a news story, that "The oath would be lame without it (the phrase "so help me God)." Lame? The Constitution's oath of office?

I repeat my opinion -- so much for separation of church and state. My Arts & Travel column is not a news column. And when my opinion items appeared in the "Washington Post", they appeared on the op-ed page, and the editorial page in Letters to the Editor section. When my news or news-related items appeared, some freelance and most through Reuters News Agency, they appeared in the national and international news sections, Business section, Style, Travel, etc. Okay, okay, back to the Bible. 

The Lincoln Bible, in the Library of Congress collections, will be on display there in an exhibition opening February 12, 2009, the 200th anniversary of his birth, "With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition." After May 9, 2009, the exhibit will travel to five other U.S. cities.

Special Report: Inauguration Day 2009

• Official Inaugural Events
• Neighborhood Inaugural Ball project
• Examiner.com Inauguration Roundup
• Examiner Coverage: Inauguration Day 2009
• The Obama Administration at a glance