In the 1820’s, Thomas Jefferson took scissors to two English Bibles, as well as Bible in French, Greek and Latin, and created a Gospel designed to show Jesus’ teaching and actions in chronilogical order but without any miracles. If he had a lap-top, it would have made his job easier, but perhaps less interesting.
The National Museum of American History is restoring the original copies of the book.
CNN says:
The founding father completed the book that he called “The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth” during his retirement in 1820.
Conservationists at the National Museum of American History are currently working to preserve the almost-200-year-old book so it can go on display in November.
…The 86-page book was bound in high-end red Moroccan leather with gold tooling. Inside, passages from the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in English, French, Latin and Greek are pasted side by side so Jefferson could compare the various translations of the story of the life of Jesus.
“He puts them in chronological order and … extracts those parts that can be identified through reason and thought,” museum curator Harry Rubenstein said. “So out goes the miracles, out goes the resurrections and what remains is what he thinks is the life and morals of Jesus, the true teachings.”
The museum also has the two English “source” Bibles which show the cutout holes of the scripture Jefferson included in his version.
According to the article, copies of the Jefferson edition of the Gospels were given to incoming members of Congress from 1905 through the 1950’s when the facsimile editions ran out.