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Reading Biblical Texts: Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land at 250
- Pacific Time Virtual Program
$150.00
Course Summary for Search and Accessibility
This course, Reading Biblical Texts: Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land at 250, is an Educational Program offered by New Lehrhaus. It is scheduled for nine sessions, beginning October 11, 2026 and ending December 13, 2026 (no class November 29), held on Sundays from 5:15 PM to 6:45 PM Pacific Time.
The total registration fee is $150.00. The course is conducted Online and focuses on the Hebrew Bible and the American Revolution, the ancient origins of biblical texts on liberty and covenant, and the Liberty Bell and America's 250th anniversary.
Two hundred fifty years ago, American revolutionaries reached for the words of the Hebrew Bible to make their case for independence. The phrase engraved on the Liberty Bell itself, "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof," comes directly from the Book of Leviticus. In this course, we'll trace how biblical texts including Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy shaped the political imagination of the Revolutionary generation, from sermons and pamphlets to the imagery Franklin and Jefferson proposed for the Great Seal of the United States.
Before these texts could inspire a revolution, they had to be written. We'll also travel back roughly 2,500 years to ask what these passages meant in their original setting: who wrote them, why, and what ideas of liberty, covenant, and peoplehood they were meant to convey to ancient Israel. Reading these texts across both moments, their ancient origins and their eighteenth-century afterlife, offers a richer way to understand a phrase Americans still repeat today.
Who this is for:
- Anyone interested in the connections between the Hebrew Bible and American history
- History buffs marking America's 250th anniversary who want a fresh angle on the founding era
- Readers curious about how ancient biblical texts get reinterpreted across centuries
- Anyone who wants to read Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy closely, no prior background in Bible study required
What you'll leave with:
- An understanding of how Revolutionary-era Americans drew on the Hebrew Bible to argue for independence
- The original historical context behind these biblical passages, including the Liberty Bell's inscription
- A close reading of key texts from Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy
- A deeper appreciation for the phrase "proclaim liberty throughout the land" and its long afterlife
Nine Sundays: October 11, 18, 25, November 1, 8, 15, 22, December 6 & 13, 5:15–6:45pm Pacific Time
Here's a brief video about the course:
IMPORTANT NOTE: Zoom link/details will be emailed to you once you complete registration, one week before your program AND the day before. Please keep this information in a location easy to find.
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