Explore the book that shaped the nation.
From America's earliest days, no text has left a deeper mark on the nation's ideals, laws, and culture than the Bible. As America marks its 250th anniversary, Museum of the Bible invites you to explore this story like never before, with events throughout the year and two new exhibits opening July 3 that trace the Bible's profound influence on American history from the founding era to today.
Award-winning and endlessly surprising, Museum of the Bible sits just three blocks from the US Capitol and offers something for everyone: rare artifacts spanning 4,000 years, immersive experiences that bring the biblical narrative to life, and conversations that will change how you see American history.
What was the Bible's role in the founding of the United States and what does it mean for us today?
This free lecture series brings together 12 world-renowned scholars and historians from across the nation to Washington, DC, for America's 250th anniversary. These lectures will take you deeper into the biblical rhetoric of revolution, the spiritual framing of independence, and the scriptural foundations of early American political thought.
June 7, 2026
Dr. Thomas S. Kidd
“‘An Appeal to Arms and to the God of Hosts’: Divine Blessing, the Bible, and the American Case for Revolution”
July 12, 2026
Dr. Robert P. George
“The Declaration of Independence and the Imago Dei ”
Coming soon
August 9, 2026
Dr. Jane E. Calvert
“‘The Most Republican Book That Was Ever Written’: The Bible in John Dickinson’s Political Philosophy”
August 23, 2026
Dr. Daniel Dreisbach
“The Bible’s Influence on the American Founders’ Political Thought and Practices”
September 20, 2026
Dr. Catherine A. Brekus
“Founding Mothers: Women, the Bible, and the American Revolution”
October 4, 2026
Dr. Vincent Phillip Muñoz
“What Should We Celebrate When We Celebrate the Declaration of Independence?: Political Authority, Religious Authority, and the American Revolutions of 1776”
October 11, 2026
Rabbi Dr. Meir Y. Soloveichik
“The July 4th Committee and the Biblical Seal of the United States”
November 22, 2026
Dr. Thomas Albert Howard
“The American Religious Experiment in European Perspective”
December 6, 2026
Dr. Mark David Hall
“Did America Have a Christian Founding?: Separating Modern Myth from Historical Truth”