Concluding with a chapter on thomas jeffersons unique interpretation of palladios work as well as palladianism in the early united states, this book is a great read for those interested in the origins of jeffersons architectural style. Jeffersons revolving bookstand book stands, drafting. Also, our replicas of antique pedestal gothic bible stands. Width in pixels px height in pixels px copied to your clipboard unable to copy. After independence virginia and the other states had to revise many of their laws, which had rested on the authority of the king. Not only does it represent thomas jefferson s fearless edit of the gospels of matthew,mark, luke and john from the new testament the bible extracting what he thought was of value from a groundwork of vulgar ignorance, of things impossible, of superstitions, fanaticisms and fabricationsbut sheds a light on the inquiring minds of the. Thomas jefferson 1743 1826 the life and morals of jesus of nazareth, commonly referred to as the jefferson bible, was a book constructed by thomas jefferson in the later years of his life by cutting and pasting with a razor and glue numerous sections from the new testament as extractions of the doctrine of jesus. Thomas jefferson and his bible the jefferson bible was thomas jeffersons attempt to extract an authentic jesus from the gospel accounts. Jefferson was not content simply to remove vestiges of british rule.
This jefferson book stand, found in monticello, is reproduced by johnsonarts, a workshop, makeground, imagineering design center and studio, specializing in. What jefferson did is pick and choose the parts of matthew, mark, luke, and john he liked or agreed with, cut them out of the gospels, then pasted. In 1895, the national museum published thomas jeffersons bible based on an edition provided by his grandson, thomas jefferson randolph. Thomas jefferson featuring an introduction by forrest church, this reissue of the jefferson bible offers extraordinary insight into the logic of thomas jefferson and the gospel of jesus. It folds down into a onefoot cube and opens to hold up to five books simulataneously.
He ended the gospel story with the execution and burial of jesus, omitting the resurrection. Complete summary of thomas jeffersons the jefferson bible. Opinion thomas jeffersons bible teaching the new york. Thomas jefferson bookstand thomas jeffersons bookstand, so that he could read several books at one time. The first time jefferson undertook to create his own. What jefferson thought about the bible thomas jefferson rejected the miracles in the gospels, so he created his own bible that excluded anything supernatural. Jefferson spent much of his life putting up and pulling down, most notably during the fortyyear construction period of monticello. The life and morals of jesus of nazareth, commonly referred to as the jefferson bible, is one of two religious works constructed by thomas jefferson. Thomas jefferson, letter to thomas law, june, 1814 ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions. It is not actually a complete bible but an attempt at a harmony of the gospels. Jefferson bible thomas jeffersons bible thomas jefferson.
Reproduction revolving bookstand in the online monticello shop. In 1804, jefferson took a razor to english, french, latin and greek versions of the new testament to construct a clear account of jesus original, uncorrupted teachings. This jesus was killed for believing in treating people equally. The life and morals of jesus of nazareth, known today as the jefferson bible, is thomas jeffersons own compilation of the four gospels in the new testament.
The jefferson bible, or the life and morals of jesus of nazareth as it is formally titled, was thomas jeffersons effort to extract what he considered the pertinent doctrine of jesus by removing. Chris is the former editor of popular woodworking magazine. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The jefferson bible, or the life and morals of jesus of nazareth as it is formally titled, was thomas jeffersons effort to extract the doctrine of jesus by removing sections of the new testament containing supernatural aspects as well as perceived misinterpretations he believed had been added. The retained passages, jefferson explained in an 18 letter to john adams, contain the most sublime and benevolent code of morals which has ever been offered to man. Jeffersons descriptions are noted in the table below along with a link to the readings from each page of the jefferson bible. Thomas jeffersons revolving book stand book stands, monticello. Thomas jefferson was known as an inventor and tinkerer. He was seventyseven years old when he constructed his book by cutting excerpts of the new testament gospels from six printed volumes published in english, french, latin and greek. How to make a thomas jefferson jeffersonian bookstand with. My version of thomas jeffersons revolving bookstand furniture projects, home projects, stain on pine. Revolving book stand the revolving bookstand was once thought to be a music stand allowing a small group of musicians could gather around it when playing.
Thomas jeffersons revolving book stand by pennstatewoodwork. How to make a thomas jefferson jeffersonian bookstand. The jefferson bible the life and morals of jesus of nazareth. Ideas must be distinct before reason can act upon them. Jeffersons bible was originally created using jacob johnsons 1804 printing of the king james new testament. Influenced by his readings of ancient and modern architectural writings, jefferson gleaned the best from both his reading and from his observations in europe, creating in his architectural designs a style that was distinctively american. Monticello thomas jeffersons revolving bookstand youtube. Please visit and enjoy my bookstand world site, and peruse the large array of bookstands and lecterns and judge the quality of my work. Countless websites including, ahem, one of mine have attributed to thomas jefferson a few inventions that he simply was not responsible for, namely. Jefferson cut out excerpts from six new testament volumes in english, french, latin, and greek, and then assembled them together in.
Jesus many faces thomas jefferson and his bible from. The jefferson bible, as its known, is scripture by subtraction, writes stephen prothero, a professor of religion at boston university. See more ideas about thomas jefferson, book recommendations and jefferson monticello. Oh yes, jefferson had one, all right, and he was by all accounts quite fond of pasta, but the machine he owned was acquired from an italian source, shipped to the u. The thomas jefferson bible, also known as the jefferson bible, and officially titled the life and morals of jesus of nazareth, is a work of thomas jefferson, the third president of the united states. Thomas jefferson, founding father and president of the usa has cut away all the supernatural bs behind jesus christ and his life time. Below are some roles and jobs that jefferson was involved in throughout his lifetime. Jefferson book stand a monticello classic woodworking. What remained, said jefferson, was a precious morsel of. Roy underhills folding bookstand popular woodworking. Jefferson eliminated everything in the bible concerning miracles.
I was intrigued by the folding book stand from old pictures like the 1877 painting of a girl using one by the artist lord frederick gainesborough and others, but the most intriguing was a huge folding chair that looked like it was made from a 12. Beginning in 1904 and lasting through the 1950s, every new member of congress received a personal copy of the jefferson bible. See more ideas about thomas jefferson, book stands and bible stand. The jefferson bible the life and morals of jesus of nazareth was created in 1820 by thomas jefferson. This video documents the building of a jeffersonian bookstand that i built for m fiancees birthday, based on the one found in thomas jefferson s office at monticello. Our revolving bookstand is a line by line reproduction of the original, which was made in the joinery at monticello, probably from thomas jefferson s own design. He is now writing a book on the adventures of two reporters who covered the civil war until they were captured by the confederates, imprisoned, and then made a dramatic escape. The inventions of thomas jefferson interesting thing of.
The first, the philosophy of jesus of nazareth, was completed in 1804, but no copies exist today. The second, the life and morals of jesus of nazareth, was completed in 1820 by cutting and pasting with a razor and glue numerous sections from the. Jefferson book stand book stands, thomas jefferson, bible stand. Bookstand is a linebyline reproduction of the original ingenious device found in thomas jefferson s cabinet, which was made in the joinery at monticello, probably from jefferson s own design. One can imagine him turning the stand, completely engrossed, consulting five books at once to find the answer to a burning question. Jefferson rearranged the text of the gospels into an account of the life and ministry of jesus that eschews mention of any supernatural or miraculous elements and stresses his moral teachings. Years ago i visited monticello and was impressed by the bookstand that thomas jefferson had designed for his library. Thomas jeffersons revolutionary take on the bible reissued this article is more than 8 years old former us president took a razor to parts of the gospels he. Jefferson bible, abridgment of the new testament compiled by thomas jefferson. He was sympathetic to and in general agreement with the moral precepts of christianity.
The life and morals of jesus of nazareth by thomas jefferson 2,178 ratings, 3. Home chris schwarz blog roy underhills folding bookstand. Elyasaf shwekathomas jeffersons revolving bookstand. All my products are individually handcrafted for ultimate quality. Other scholars believe that jefferson designed the bookstand for himself allowing him to hold several books open at the same time, without spreading them across a table. Thomas jefferson, born april 2 april, new style, 1743, shadwell, virginia u. Working in the white house in 1804, jefferson set out to edit the gospels in order to uncover the essence of true religion in the simple story of the life. Label copy to clipboard click to copy embed code for video close. Jefferson did not believe at all that the bible was the inspired word of god. Dug hard into various bibles of the times and manages to find the wisdom of a progressive jewish rebel. Gardiner hallock is the architectural historian at the thomas jefferson foundation. Inventor the iron plow, the macaroni machine, the dumbwaiter, the pedometer, the wheel cipher, the polygraph, the spherical sundial, and the revolving bookstand are just a few of his famous and applicable inventions arc hitect designed his own house, monticello, helped design the virginia state capitol.
Oct 17, 20 lawyer, politician, hobby architect and prolific inventor, but more important true american pioneer, with succeeding in all that fields and. Thomas jefferson had a complicated relationship with the bible. If you are ordering for a specific date please contact me and i will do my est to accommodate your need. He continues to blog and publish woodworking books at lost art press. Thomas jefferson, the third president of the united states and primary author of the declaration of independence, completed his version of the bible in about 1819many years after he served as president. Constructed of solid walnut, the cubeshaped stand has five adjustable rests for holding. An example would be the famous revolving bookstand and writing desk of thomas jefferson. Oct 4, 20 book recommendations from monticellos staff and picks from thomas jeffersons library. The bible, thomas jefferson peter carlson is a former reporter for the washington post and the author of two books on american history, k blows top and roughneck. Jefferson was most comfortable with deism, rational religion, and unitarianism. The jefferson bible, or the life and morals of jesus of nazareth as it is formally titled, was a book constructed by thomas jefferson in the latter years of his life by cutting and pasting with a razor and glue numerous sections from the new testament as extractions of the doctrine of jesus. This jefferson bookstand also makes a great display piece. Jefferson finished his bible in approximately 1819. The religious views of thomas jefferson diverged widely from the traditional christianity of his era.
By the time he was elected the nations third president in 1801, the founding father had become a. Among the many ingenious devices found in thomas jeffersons cabinet, the revolving bookstand perhaps most clearly suggests jeffersons. Made of solid mahogany with a soft, handpolished finish, the rotating table top book stand holds five books at adjustable angles on rests that fold down to form a 12 cube. Throughout his life, jefferson was intensely interested in theology, religious studies, and morality. In his retirement years thomas jefferson compiled his own version of the four gospels, which he called the life and morals of jesus of nazareth, by cutting and pasting passages from six bibles in. Subscribe thomas jefferson american president born on april, 1743, died on july 04, 1826 thomas jefferson was an american founding father, the principal author of the declaration of independence, and the third president of the united states. But this time he was tinkering with something held sacred by hundreds of millions of people. The table of texts is from the life and morals of jesus of nazareth. This jefferson book stand, found in monticello, is reproduced by johnsonarts, a workshop, makeground, imagineering design center and studio, specializing in customdesigned and built furniture. For a few of the books im reading at the same time thomas jeffersons revolving book stand by pennstatewoodwork many years ago, as a kid, i visited monticello, thomas jeffersons estate near charlottesville, va.