A new collection at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., is offering insights into the significant role Scripture played during the nation's founding era. The exhibit, timed with America's 250th anniversary, features original documents and historical objects that trace the influence of biblical language on conversations about liberty, education, and public life.
Among the displayed items are the first Bible printed in English in America, family Bibles owned by several founding fathers and prominent Americans, and an original letter from Thomas Jefferson concerning religious freedom. These artifacts are intended to demonstrate how biblical language permeated the founding era, influencing the discourse on fundamental aspects of the nascent nation.
Anthony Schmidt, the museum's director of collections and curatorial, stated that the exhibit utilizes primary sources to examine the Bible's role in early American history. "The Bible has been an integral part of this nation’s founding and history," Schmidt said. "That’s not a theological claim; it’s what the documents show. The founding fathers referenced Scripture, argued from it, and built political frameworks on its language about human dignity and liberty."
Scripture in Daily Life and Governance
One section of the exhibit focuses on the pervasiveness of Scripture in everyday life during the early years of the United States. It features the first English Bible printed in America alongside personal Bibles belonging to key historical figures. Schmidt noted that the objects were chosen to illustrate the Bible's impact beyond religious life, extending to early American art, education, and politics.
Another part of the exhibition explores the relationship between faith and government. This section includes writings by Thomas Jefferson on religious liberty and one of the earliest published American arguments for resisting tyranny. Visitors can also see Revolutionary-era printed materials that aided in unifying the colonies, documents detailing early Jewish civic life in America, and portraits and busts of figures like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin.
Schmidt emphasized that a primary objective of the collection is to encourage direct engagement with original historical documents. "We want visitors to encounter the history of this country and see, in the primary documents, what impact the Bible actually had on the people who built it," he said.
He also pointed out that despite disagreements among the founding fathers on religious matters, the historical record indicates a significant influence from the Bible's language and ideas. "Many of the founders disagreed about religion, and disagreed sharply, but they were still shaped by the Bible’s language and arguments," Schmidt explained. "We want people to engage with that evidence and come to their own conclusions."