The official State Bible was purchased by the state in 1853. It is used to inaugurate Governors of Alabama. Governor John Winston was the first governor to be sworn in using this bible, on December 20, 1853. Every governor since 1853 has also used this Bible for their inauguration, though some like to place their personal Bible on top.

The Bible was used in 1861 for Jefferson Davis to take his oath of office as President of the Confederate States of America.

The Bible is now kept in the Alabama Department of Archives and History. When not in use during present-day inaugurations, it is on display in the department's third floor Nineteenth Century Gallery.