Original: Ezekiel caused great controversy when , being Jewish he swore his oath on a Hebrew Bible , instead of on the Christian Bible , and with his head covered in preparation for taking up his seat on January 29 , 1808 ( At the time , Jews were accustomed to swearing in courts of law in this manner ) .
Simplified: Because he was Jewish , he swore his oath on a Hebrew Bible , instead of a Christian Bible , and while wearing a kippah .