Volume of Sacred Law (VSL) (also known as the Book of the Law) is the

Masonic Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

term for whatever religious or philosophical texts are displayed during a Lodge meeting.

Background

In Lodges with a membership of mixed religions it is common to find more than one sacred text displayed. Every candidate is given his choice of religious text for his Obligation according to his beliefs. One of the most notable individual VSLs is the

George Washington Inaugural Bible The George Washington Inaugural Bible is the Bible that was sworn upon by George Washington when he took office as the first President of the United States on April 30, 1789. The Bible has subsequently been used in the inauguration ceremonies of ...

. It belongs to St. John's Lodge No. 1 in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

and has been used at its meetings since 1767. It is famous, however, for being the Bible used at the first inauguration of

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

. It was also used (sometimes in conjunction with another Bible) for the Presidential inaugurations of

Warren Harding Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was the 29th president of the United States, serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. A member of the Republican Party, he was one of the most popular sitting U.S. presidents. A ...

, Dwight Eisenhower, George H. W. Bush, and

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

.George Washington Inaugural Bible – from the website of St. John's Lodge No. 1, New York
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References

Freemasonry {{freemasonry-stub