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When religion becomes intertwined with systems of oppression, the results can profoundly alter societies and reshape histories in troubling ways. Such is the case with the Slave Bible, an intentionally altered version of sacred scripture that emerged during the colonial era and was specifically crafted to uphold the institution of slavery through carefully orchestrated censorship.
Rather than being simply an artifact of religious history, the Slave Bible was made in a calculated effort to exploit faith as a mechanism of control. The pages of holy scripture were altered, omitted, and disregarded for incredibly nefarious purposes.
But why exactly was this Slave Bible created, and who was responsible for its production? Which specific passages were deliberately excluded, and why were others highlighted instead? Click through the following gallery to find out.
The Slave Bible was crafted by British missionaries in 1807, and was intentionally designed to teach Christianity to enslaved Africans in the British West Indies. This edited version selectively included biblical passages that encouraged obedience and omitted sections that advocated for liberation and equality.
The British established colonies in the West Indies during the early 17th century, seeking economic prosperity through plantation agriculture. Sugar rapidly became the region's primary crop, and it drove settlers to exploit fertile lands and significantly expand their colonial presence.
When faced with labor shortages on plantations, British colonizers turned to the transatlantic slave trade and forcibly brought millions of Africans to the West Indies. These enslaved people became the backbone of the plantation economy, enduring unimaginable hardships while fueling colonial wealth.
Slaveholders frequently employed Christianity to legitimize and sustain the institution of slavery, claiming biblical support for racial hierarchies. As a result, the religion was disseminated as much as possible, although religious leaders faced one crucial problem: the Bible contained parts that actually condemned slavery.
In response, the Slave Bible was created, which censored critical biblical texts to prevent enslaved people from developing ideas of freedom or rebellion. Approximately 90% of the Old Testament and 50% of the New Testament were intentionally omitted to enforce submission among enslaved populations.
A standard Protestant Bible includes 66 books, while a Roman Catholic edition features 73 and an Eastern Orthodox version contains 78. In stark contrast, the heavily redacted Slave Bible consists of only select portions from just 14 books.
The Book of Exodus, which details the Israelites' escape from slavery in Egypt, was entirely removed from the Slave Bible. This deliberate omission ensured enslaved readers wouldn't associate their own oppression with the biblical narrative of liberation.
The Slave Bible deliberately excludes the story of Moses leading the Israelites to freedom. However, it retains the story of Joseph’s enslavement in Egypt, reinforcing themes of obedience and divine reward for submission.
Psalms emphasizing justice, deliverance from oppression, or divine support for suffering individuals were systematically excluded. The compilers of the Slave Bible ensured enslaved readers would not find comfort or hope in passages that validated resistance or liberation.
Any biblical passage that referenced liberation, equality, or freedom was removed, including verses that might suggest moral opposition to slavery. Verses highlighting God's favor toward the oppressed were seen as threats to maintaining control over enslaved populations.
Galatians 3:28, promoting equality among believers by stating "there is neither slave nor free," was also excluded from the Slave Bible. Its removal prevented enslaved individuals from encountering teachings that challenged their enforced inferiority.
Revelation, which foretells divine judgment and ultimate redemption from earthly suffering, underwent significant omissions. Passages that could symbolize the overthrow of oppressive systems were excluded to prevent enslaved Africans from envisioning eventual freedom or deliverance.
The Slave Bible retained verses explicitly instructing slaves to obey their masters. Passages such as Ephesians 6:5 (which emphasized obedience of slaves) were prominently featured to reinforce compliance and discourage resistance or uprisings.
The Society for the Conversion of Negro Slaves was responsible for publishing this manipulated version of the Bible. Their explicit mission aimed at converting enslaved Africans to Christianity, through scriptures that were altered to justify slavery and obedience.
Missionaries and slaveholders employed the Slave Bible as a primary educational tool in colonies like Jamaica and Barbados. It served as propaganda to condition enslaved populations into accepting their subjugation as divine providence.
The edited Bible emerged shortly after the Haitian Revolution, the only slave revolt in history where European oppressors were successfully driven out. The Bible’s omissions, including the part where Moses tells the Pharaoh to “Let my people go,” suggest an intentional effort to suppress revolutionary ideas among enslaved populations so that a revolution would not be repeated.
Only three copies of the Slave Bible remain today, preserved as historical artifacts. One such copy is housed at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, and it offers tangible evidence of religious manipulation during the era of colonial slavery.
Slaveholders also limited the exposure that enslaved people had to liberating ideas by restricting their literacy. This controlled literacy was a deliberate effort to prevent empowerment through education.
The Slave Bible was deliberately compact and portable, designed to facilitate easy transportation and usage by missionaries. Its small size allowed missionaries to conveniently distribute and read aloud selected passages to groups of enslaved Africans.
Many abolitionists, including devout Christians, openly condemned the Slave Bible as a perversion of scripture. They used the full Bible to argue against slavery, turning the very religion used to oppress into a force for freedom.
Britain officially abolished slavery throughout its empire with the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, legally freeing hundreds of thousands of enslaved Africans. But formerly enslaved people often remained trapped in oppressive labor systems like apprenticeships.
Recently, digital archives and libraries have made images and texts from surviving Slave Bibles available online. This digital availability has significantly increased public awareness and has allowed more people worldwide to directly explore and study this troubling historical artifact.
In 2018, Washington, D.C.’s Museum of the Bible showcased the Slave Bible through an exhibition titled "The Slave Bible: Let the Story Be Told." This exhibit aimed to educate visitors on the historical misuse of religion to enforce slavery.
Unsurprisingly, the Slave Bible was not the first (or last) time in which Christianity was weaponized against others for the sake of enslavement, segregation, or oppression. Indeed, the religion has had a tumultuous history with such circumstances.
During the Spanish Inquisition between 1478 and 1834, the Catholic Church used religious authority to persecute, torture, and execute individuals accused of heresy. This included forcibly converting Jews, Muslims, and Protestants, using religion as a tool for political and social control.
In the late 17th century, religious fervor and fear were weaponized to persecute marginalized community members accused of witchcraft. Scripture and sermons were misused to justify imprisonment and execution, primarily targeting women and societal outsiders.
Between 1933 and 1945, the Nazis manipulated religious symbols, teachings, and institutions (such as the Protestant Reich Church) to legitimize anti-Semitism, racial purity laws, and genocide. Certain theologians and churches collaborated with the regime and promoted obedience with Nazi ideology.
The South African apartheid regime (which lasted from 1948 to 1994) exploited Christianity to justify racial segregation and white supremacy. Scriptures were manipulated to argue that racial divisions and oppression were part of God's intended social order.
Studying the Slave Bible remains essential in education, since it truly brings to light the value of holding people accountable for wrongdoings. It is imperative that people understand how religion has been used to manipulate others and justify racism, so that such horrors can be prevented from happening again.
Sources: (NPR) (Britannica) (History.com) (Museum of the Bible) (Smithsonian Magazine)
See also: 666 and other biblical numbers explained
What was the Slave Bible?
How censorship was used in scripture to condone slavery
LIFESTYLE History
When religion becomes intertwined with systems of oppression, the results can profoundly alter societies and reshape histories in troubling ways. Such is the case with the Slave Bible, an intentionally altered version of sacred scripture that emerged during the colonial era and was specifically crafted to uphold the institution of slavery through carefully orchestrated censorship.
Rather than being simply an artifact of religious history, the Slave Bible was made in a calculated effort to exploit faith as a mechanism of control. The pages of holy scripture were altered, omitted, and disregarded for incredibly nefarious purposes.
But why exactly was this Slave Bible created, and who was responsible for its production? Which specific passages were deliberately excluded, and why were others highlighted instead? Click through the following gallery to find out.