What is the spiritual significance of swearing on a Bible among the various churches and denominations? When someone is deposed in court, they are asked to swear on a Bible.

My premise is that the use of a printed Bible in this instance is derived from a pagan ritual or rituals, rather than a practice that the holy Scriptures themselves would encourage. What is am overview of Christian beliefs about the spiritual significance of the practice?

I am in no way dismissing the seriousness (legal, personal, or spiritual) of the sin of lying; I am talking about the specific act involving putting one's hand on the Bible itself, particularly in official or legal situations.

The closest question on this topic doesn't get into the significance of the printed Bible itself:


Swear to tell the truth 'so help me God'?
A very straight reading of Matthew and James would lead you to believe what Jeff wrote.  But that may not be the end of it, or have anything to do at all with judicial oaths.

Christ meant, as the Fathers and ecclesiastical writers explain, to be so truthful that men could believe them without need of oath to confirm what they say. He did not forbid the use of oaths under proper conditions, when necessary to satisfy others of our truthfulness.
Oaths - Catholic Encylopedia

All the sacraments are oaths. Saying Amen is an oath. Every covenant God made is an oath.  There's no reason you shouldn't &quot;swear to God&quot; when you're seriously &quot;swearing to God&quot;.  Just like you can say &quot;God help us&quot; or &quot;Mother of the Saints!&quot; without using God's name or other holy names in vain.
You shouldn't go down a path that is going to lead to perjury.

However, swearing on a Bible, or swearing on &quot;The Precious&quot; or your mother's ashes, etc doesn't seem necessary does it?  Almost seems idolatrous.  But, then again, you're not swearing on a Bible, you're just touching a Bible and swearing on the Holy Word of God and as long as you're not perjuring yourself and you're fulfilling your obligations, you're doing the right thing.