Coinciding with President Donald Trump’s inauguration, the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., is preparing to showcase a significant personal Bible from the presidential swearing-in ceremony.
Robert Duke, the museum’s Chief Curatorial Officer, told CNA that starting Tuesday, Trump’s personal Bible, held by First Lady Melania Trump during the oath of office on Monday, will be included in the display of U.S. presidential inauguration Bibles at the museum.
Trump’s Bible, a 1953 Revised Standard Version published by Thomas Nelson and Sons in New York, was gifted to him in 1955 to commemorate his Sunday Church Primary School graduation, according to the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee. It bears his name embossed on the front cover, along with signatures from church officials and an inscription detailing its presentation.
The Bible has been a cornerstone in the history of presidential inaugurations,” Duke remarked. “So this year, we decided to create a small inauguration-themed exhibit on our first floor.”
Trump was also sworn in using the esteemed Lincoln Bible, which he had also used during his 2017 inauguration. The Lincoln Bible is notable for being used only by Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, and Trump during their swearing-in ceremonies.