I'm slightly confused. You can choose between either a "Hebrew Bible" or the Torah, is there an actual Torah in the despatch box? Can someone find out?
As MPs continue to swear in today, let's take a moment to reflect on the events of 26th July 1858 when Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild became the first Jewish MP to sit in the Commons and took his oath on the Old Testament🧵:
Baron Lionel Nathan de Rothschild was elected in 1847 as one of four MPs in the City of London Constituency. As a Jew, he was unable to take his seat because the oath at the time required him to swear "and I make this declaration upon the true faith of a Christian"
Prime Minister Lord John Russell introduced the Jewish Disabilities Bill to remove this issue and allow Rothchild to take his seat. It was approved by the House of Commons twice in 1848 but rejected both times by the House of Lords