The Real Story Of The Lincoln Bible

(CBS)  Inspired by Abraham Lincoln, President-elect Barack Obama has invoked the memory of the great emancipator throughout his political life. And tomorrow, he will swear to preserve, protect and defend the constitution on the same bible Lincoln used in 1861, CBS News White House correspondent Bill Plante reports.

They call it the "Lincoln Bible."

"It is in tolerably good condition," said Clark Evans of the Library of Congress.

While it is in good condition, it's not really the Lincoln family bible.

With the Civil War about to erupt and an assassination threat in Baltimore, Lincoln arrived in Washington in the middle of the night.

His belongings and his bible were still en route.

So could it be true that Abraham Lincoln showed up for his first inauguration without a bible, and the chief justice there to swear him in sent him and his clerk to get one?

"That's a very likely scenario for what happened," Evans said, showing the current Lincoln Bible. "And … this is what he brings back."

The clerk of the Supreme Court, William Thomas Carroll, brought back one of the many bibles he kept for official use - then signed and sealed it.

On that day, Lincoln spoke to a nation in crisis, about to split in two.

And on Election Night, Mr. Obama echoed Lincoln's words.

"As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours," Mr. Obama said.
"We are not enemies, but friends, though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection."

For inspiration tomorrow, Mr. Obama has been reading Lincoln's second inaugural address, shown to CBS News by John Sellers, a Lincoln curator at the Library of Congress.

"Changing words until the end," Sellers said of Lincoln's work. "The final paragraph is one of the most moving things he has ever written. 'With malice towards none with charity for all.'"

In Abraham Lincoln's rise from nothing and in his determination, Barack Obama sees a model - to inspire, to guide and to unite.

[hippysusan]

I bet if someone walked up to Michelle Obama and looked into the box carrying the so-called "Lincoln Bible" it would be empty. If history trivia serves me right...I believe the Bible Lincoln read and studied God''s Holy Word was his Mother''s own Bible...and he did not use that one for his first inauguration because it was still packed away in Lincoln''s luggage at the White House. And I''m glad President Obama wants to use Lincoln as a mentor or a role model for his service in the White House..but he is no Abe Lincoln. Most Americans have forgotten that God was the central and most revered figure by our founding fathers of America and wrote the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution believing that America would always serve God and fear Him. That America does not exist today. American has turned her back on God. America is like a fallen angel from Heaven and I truly believe that America has "voted" its souls to the clutches of the devil. To those who "compare" Obama to a Savior such as Jesus Christ the Lord...ask yourself this..does President Obama wear a crown of thorns?..does he have nail holes in his hands and feet?...if you say "no" to these questions.....then I would have to say that President Obama is just like the rest of us.....simply a man who is trying to do his job to the best of his ability. The only thing I really enjoyed about the inauguration was Rick Warren.

[hippysusan]

I bet if someone walked up to Michelle Obama and looked into the box carrying the so-called "Lincoln Bible" it would be empty. If history trivia serves me right...I believe the Bible Lincoln read and studied God''s Holy Word was his Mother''s own Bible...and he did not use that one for his first inauguration because it was still packed away in Lincoln''s luggage at the White House. And I''m glad President Obama wants to use Lincoln as a mentor or a role model for his service in the White House..but he is no Abe Lincoln. Most Americans have forgotten that God was the central and most revered figure by our founding fathers of America and wrote the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution believing that America would always serve God and fear Him. That America does not exist today. American has turned her back on God. America is like a fallen angel from Heaven and I truly believe that America has "voted" its souls to the clutches of the devil. To those who "compare" Obama to a Savior such as Jesus Christ the Lord...ask yourself this..does President Obama wear a crown of thorns?..does he have nail holes in his hands and feet?...if you say "no" to these questions.....then I would have to say that President Obama is just like the rest of us.....simply a man who is trying to do his job to the best of his ability. The only thing I really enjoyed about the inauguration was Rick Warren.

[hippysusan]

I bet if someone walked up to Michelle Obama and looked into the box carrying the so-called "Lincoln Bible" it would be empty. If history trivia serves me right...I believe the Bible Lincoln read and studied God''s Holy Word was his Mother''s own Bible...and he did not use that one for his first inauguration because it was still packed away in Lincoln''s luggage at the White House. And I''m glad President Obama wants to use Lincoln as a mentor or a role model for his service in the White House..but he is no Abe Lincoln. Most Americans have forgotten that God was the central and most revered figure by our founding fathers of America and wrote the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution believing that America would always serve God and fear Him. That America does not exist today. American has turned her back on God. America is like a fallen angel from Heaven and I truly believe that America has "voted" its souls to the clutches of the devil. To those who "compare" Obama to a Savior such as Jesus Christ the Lord...ask yourself this..does President Obama wear a crown of thorns?..does he have nail holes in his hands and feet?...if you say "no" to these questions.....then I would have to say that President Obama is just like the rest of us.....simply a man who is trying to do his job to the best of his ability. The only thing I really enjoyed about the inauguration was Rick Warren.

[hippysusan]

I bet if someone walked up to Michelle Obama and looked into the box carrying the so-called "Lincoln Bible" it would be empty. If history trivia serves me right...I believe the Bible Lincoln read and studied God''s Holy Word was his Mother''s own Bible...and he did not use that one for his first inauguration because it was still packed away in Lincoln''s luggage at the White House. And I''m glad President Obama wants to use Lincoln as a mentor or a role model for his service in the White House..but he is no Abe Lincoln. Most Americans have forgotten that God was the central and most revered figure by our founding fathers of America and wrote the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution believing that America would always serve God and fear Him. That America does not exist today. American has turned her back on God. America is like a fallen angel from Heaven and I truly believe that America has "voted" its souls to the clutches of the devil. To those who "compare" Obama to a Savior such as Jesus Christ the Lord...ask yourself this..does President Obama wear a crown of thorns?..does he have nail holes in his hands and feet?...if you say "no" to these questions.....then I would have to say that President Obama is just like the rest of us.....simply a man who is trying to do his job to the best of his ability. The only thing I really enjoyed about the inauguration was Rick Warren.

[hippysusan]

I bet if someone walked up to Michelle Obama and looked into the box carrying the so-called "Lincoln Bible" it would be empty. If history trivia serves me right...I believe the Bible Lincoln read and studied God''s Holy Word was his Mother''s own Bible...and he did not use that one for his first inauguration because it was still packed away in Lincoln''s luggage at the White House. And I''m glad President Obama wants to use Lincoln as a mentor or a role model for his service in the White House..but he is no Abe Lincoln. Most Americans have forgotten that God was the central and most revered figure by our founding fathers of America and wrote the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution believing that America would always serve God and fear Him. That America does not exist today. American has turned her back on God. America is like a fallen angel from Heaven and I truly believe that America has "voted" its souls to the clutches of the devil. To those who "compare" Obama to a Savior such as Jesus Christ the Lord...ask yourself this..does President Obama wear a crown of thorns?..does he have nail holes in his hands and feet?...if you say "no" to these questions.....then I would have to say that President Obama is just like the rest of us.....simply a man who is trying to do his job to the best of his ability. The only thing I really enjoyed about the inauguration was Rick Warren.

[hippysusan]

I bet if someone walked up to Michelle Obama and looked into the box carrying the so-called "Lincoln Bible" it would be empty. If history trivia serves me right...I believe the Bible Lincoln read and studied God''s Holy Word was his Mother''s own Bible...and he did not use that one for his first inauguration because it was still packed away in Lincoln''s luggage at the White House. And I''m glad President Obama wants to use Lincoln as a mentor or a role model for his service in the White House..but he is no Abe Lincoln. Most Americans have forgotten that God was the central and most revered figure by our founding fathers of America and wrote the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution believing that America would always serve God and fear Him. That America does not exist today. American has turned her back on God. America is like a fallen angel from Heaven and I truly believe that America has "voted" its souls to the clutches of the devil. To those who "compare" Obama to a Savior such as Jesus Christ the Lord...ask yourself this..does President Obama wear a crown of thorns?..does he have nail holes in his hands and feet?...if you say "no" to these questions.....then I would have to say that President Obama is just like the rest of us.....simply a man who is trying to do his job to the best of his ability. The only thing I really enjoyed about the inauguration was Rick Warren.

[hippysusan]

I bet if someone walked up to Michelle Obama and looked into the box carrying the so-called "Lincoln Bible" it would be empty. If history trivia serves me right...I believe the Bible Lincoln read and studied God''s Holy Word was his Mother''s own Bible...and he did not use that one for his first inauguration because it was still packed away in Lincoln''s luggage at the White House. And I''m glad President Obama wants to use Lincoln as a mentor or a role model for his service in the White House..but he is no Abe Lincoln. Most Americans have forgotten that God was the central and most revered figure by our founding fathers of America and wrote the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution believing that America would always serve God and fear Him. That America does not exist today. American has turned her back on God. America is like a fallen angel from Heaven and I truly believe that America has "voted" its souls to the clutches of the devil. To those who "compare" Obama to a Savior such as Jesus Christ the Lord...ask yourself this..does President Obama wear a crown of thorns?..does he have nail holes in his hands and feet?...if you say "no" to these questions.....then I would have to say that President Obama is just like the rest of us.....simply a man who is trying to do his job to the best of his ability. The only thing I really enjoyed about the inauguration was Rick Warren.

[hippysusan]

I bet if someone walked up to Michelle Obama and looked into the box carrying the so-called "Lincoln Bible" it would be empty. If history trivia serves me right...I believe the Bible Lincoln read and studied God''s Holy Word was his Mother''s own Bible...and he did not use that one for his first inauguration because it was still packed away in Lincoln''s luggage at the White House. And I''m glad President Obama wants to use Lincoln as a mentor or a role model for his service in the White House..but he is no Abe Lincoln. Most Americans have forgotten that God was the central and most revered figure by our founding fathers of America and wrote the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution believing that America would always serve God and fear Him. That America does not exist today. American has turned her back on God. America is like a fallen angel from Heaven and I truly believe that America has "voted" its souls to the clutches of the devil. To those who "compare" Obama to a Savior such as Jesus Christ the Lord...ask yourself this..does President Obama wear a crown of thorns?..does he have nail holes in his hands and feet?...if you say "no" to these questions.....then I would have to say that President Obama is just like the rest of us.....simply a man who is trying to do his job to the best of his ability. The only thing I really enjoyed about the inauguration was Rick Warren.

[hippysusan]

I bet if someone walked up to Michelle Obama and looked into the box carrying the so-called "Lincoln Bible" it would be empty. If history trivia serves me right...I believe the Bible Lincoln read and studied God''s Holy Word was his Mother''s own Bible...and he did not use that one for his first inauguration because it was still packed away in Lincoln''s luggage at the White House. And I''m glad President Obama wants to use Lincoln as a mentor or a role model for his service in the White House..but he is no Abe Lincoln. Most Americans have forgotten that God was the central and most revered figure by our founding fathers of America and wrote the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution believing that America would always serve God and fear Him. That America does not exist today. American has turned her back on God. America is like a fallen angel from Heaven and I truly believe that America has "voted" its souls to the clutches of the devil. To those who "compare" Obama to a Savior such as Jesus Christ the Lord...ask yourself this..does President Obama wear a crown of thorns?..does he have nail holes in his hands and feet?...if you say "no" to these questions.....then I would have to say that President Obama is just like the rest of us.....simply a man who is trying to do his job to the best of his ability. The only thing I really enjoyed about the inauguration was Rick Warren.

[MichaelBurns]

Correction: it''s Bible, not bible.
The word bible comes from byblos meaning book.
God''s Holy Word (Holy Bible) is a THE book, a very special and specific book. Thus it is widely and correctly referred to as Bible. Derivative words such as biblical are not capitalized.

Thanks for the otherwise good article.