The Lincoln Bible is a Bible that was owned by William Thomas Carroll, a clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court. The bible was used by President Abraham Lincoln at his inauguration in 1861. It was also used by President Barack Obama at his inaugurations in 2009 and 2013.[1] It was most recently used by President Donald Trump at his inauguration in 2017.[2]
The bible was returned to Caroll after Lincoln's first inauguration. He later gave it to the Lincoln family sometime after Lincoln's assassination. The family donated the Bible to the Library of Congress in 1928.[3] The Bible was on display at the Library of Congress from February to May 2009 in a celebration of Lincoln's 200th birthday.[3]
The Bible is an Oxford University Press edition of the King James Bible. It was published in 1853, it has 1280 pages, and is about 6 inches (150 mm) long by 4 inches (100 mm) wide, and 1.75 inches (44 mm) thick.[4]
The Bible is not a rare edition, and a similar Bible without Lincoln Bible's historical importance, would be valued about $30 or $40.[5]