What phrase from Leviticus is inscribed on Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell?

Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell is inscribed with the phrase “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land.”

The wording comes from Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.” The inscription was selected when the bell was cast for the Pennsylvania State House in 1751, long before the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence.

The bell became associated with American independence because of its location near the events of 1776 and its message about liberty. The familiar name “Liberty Bell” was not widely used until the nineteenth century; earlier records generally referred to it as the State House bell.

A famous crack developed in the bell, and it has not been rung since the nineteenth century. It became a powerful national symbol during the abolitionist, civil rights, and women’s suffrage movements.