Which biblical book is cited on the Liberty Bell’s inscription?

The Liberty Bell’s inscription cites the biblical book of Leviticus.

The quotation comes from Leviticus 25:10: “Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof.” The bell’s inscription follows that wording and adds the reference “Lev. XXV. v X.”, meaning chapter 25, verse 10. The text was chosen for a bell commissioned by Pennsylvania’s colonial assembly for the State House in Philadelphia.

The bell was cast in London in 1752 by Lester and Pack, later known as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. It cracked during testing after arriving in Philadelphia and was recast twice by local founders John Pass and John Stow. Their names and the year 1753 appear on the bell.

The bell was originally called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell. The name “Liberty Bell” became popular much later, especially among abolitionist groups in the nineteenth century. Its famous crack is also surrounded by legends; the exact moment it first developed the major crack is not known with certainty.