TheGeorge Washington Inaugural Bible is theBible that wassworn upon byGeorge Washington whenhe took office as the firstpresident of the United States on April 30, 1789. The Bible has subsequently been theoath book in the inauguration ceremonies of several other U.S. presidents.
The Bible is theKing James Version, dated 1767, complete with theApocrypha and elaborately supplemented with the historical, astronomical and legal data of that period.[1]St. John's Lodge No. 1, Ancient York Masons, are the custodians of what is now known as the George Washington Inaugural Bible. There is dispute over whether the Bible was randomly opened toGenesis 49 during the ceremony, or whether Washington purposely chose it.[2][3]
The inaugural ceremony took place on the balcony ofFederal Hall onWall Street in New York City, in the presence of a large number of onlookers. Washington was dressed in a suit of dark brown cloth and white silk stockings, all of American manufacture. His hair was powdered and dressed in the fashion of the day, clubbed and ribboned.
The oath of office was first administered byRobert R. Livingston. The open Bible on which the President laid his hand was held on a rich crimson velvet cushion bySamuel Otis, Secretary of the Senate. With them wereJohn Adams, who had been elected vice president;George Clinton, first Governor of New York;Philip Schuyler,John Jay, Maj. Gen.Henry Knox,Jacob Morton (Master of St. John's Lodge, who had retrieved the Lodge Bible when they discovered none had been provided), and other distinguished guests.
Without reliable contemporary accounts, the most common account of the event is that after taking his oath, Washington kissed the Bible reverently, closed his eyes and in an attitude of devotion said "So help me God." Livingston then exclaimed, "It is done!" and turning to the people he shouted, "Long live George Washington, President of the United States!," a shout that was echoed and re-echoed by the multitude present.
However, there is currently debate as to whether or not he added the phrase "So help me God" to his oath. The only contemporaneous account of Washington's oath is from French consulComte de Moustier who reported the constitutional oath with no mention of "So help me God".[4] The earliest known source indicating Washington did add "So help me God" is attributed toWashington Irving, aged six at the time of the inauguration, and first appears 60 years after the event.[5]
At the conclusion, Washington and the others went in procession toSt. Paul's Chapel, in accordance with a Congressional resolution, and there they invoked the blessing of God upon the new government.
The Bible has since been used for the inaugurations ofWarren G. Harding in 1921,[6]Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953,[7]Jimmy Carter in 1977, andGeorge H. W. Bush, whose 1989 inauguration was in the bicentennial year of Washington's. The Bible was also intended to be used for thefirst inauguration of George W. Bush, but heavy rain didn't allow it.[8] However, the Bible was present in theCapitol Building in the care of threefreemasons of St. John's Lodge, in case the weather got better.[9]
In addition to its duties, the Bible has been used in the funeral processions of Presidents Washington andAbraham Lincoln. The Bible has also been used at the center-stone laying of the U.S. Capitol, the dedication of theWashington Monument, the centennials of the cornerstone laying of theWhite House, U.S. Capitol, and theStatue of Liberty, the1964 World's Fair as well as the launching of the aircraft carrierUSSGeorge Washington.[10] It has also been used at cornerstone ceremonies for Masonic temples inBoston in 1867,Philadelphia in 1869.[11]
In recent years, it has been displayed in New York at theFederal Hall National Memorial, located on the site of Washington's inauguration, and theNew York Historical Society, and in Washington, D.C. at theSmithsonian and theUnited States Capitol Visitor Center.
In 2009, the Lodge formed a registered public charity for the purpose of preserving, maintaining and restoring the George Washington Inaugural Bible. In 2014, the St. John's Lodge No. 1 Foundation, Inc., received recognition as an IRS501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Media related toGeorge Washington Inaugural Bible at Wikimedia Commons
