Here's the history behind the Sam Houston Bible being used in Ken Paxton's impeachment trial

At the start of Ken Paxton's impeachment trial Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made a point of saying that witnesses would be sworn in on the storied "Sam Houston Bible."

Published in 1816, this particular Bible has been used frequently to swear in high elected officials, including governors, according to a story about the Sam Houston Bible published in a series on Texas Supreme Court history that was researched and written by archivist Tiffany Gilman.

"Gently opening the Bible to the first page reveals an iron gall ink inscription in an archaic hand which reads 'Supreme Court of the Republic of Texas, 184-,' followed by an elaborate finial," Gilman writes. "Unfortunately, the last number in the date is missing. At some point in history, the flyleaf was torn in half, right through the date. Although the Old Testament’s imprint was also torn out, the New Testament has its own title page, which states: 'Hartford: Printed by Hudson & Co., 1816.'”

In the 1940s, one Texas Supreme Court justice claimed that the missing part of that page bore Houston's signature.

There is no definitive evidence, however, that it once belonged to Sam Houston. Newspaper articles from the 19th and 20th centuries assert all sorts of unsourced claims about the book, including that Jim Bowie once owned it.

When he was sworn in as governor in 1995, George W. Bush called it "Sam Houston's own Bible, simple and worn."

According to a 2015 AP story, three experts on Houston's life said that the handwriting on the flyleaf looked like his, but evidence found in the court's archives suggests it is closer to that of the first chief justice, John Hemphill.

The plain, worn King James Bible, which is missing at least two pages but retains its original binding, is kept in a special case at the Texas Supreme Court. Stained and brittle, it was rescued from the fire that consumed the second Capitol in 1881.

The date for the opening of the Paxton trial shares other history: Sam Houston was first elected president of the republic on Sept. 5, 1836.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Story behind Sam Houston Bible used in Ken Paxton's impeachment trial