Bible

The Bible and the Founding Fathers

Where did the vision for American democracy come from? Was it from a philosopher in a cave? Did it come to our founding fathers in an epiphany? Come down this Path with Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm as you discover the roots of democracy.

The Idea

Paths all begin with the Idea, less than thirty minutes for you designed and prepared to stimulate your thoughts and bring you the wholesome ideas that you cannot get anywhere else on the internet. You'll meet your engaging guide and continue down the Path to the Evidence and the Relevance.

What is Christian Hebraism?
2:29
Why is Christian Hebraism Important?
2:56
How did the Hebrew Bible lead to the American Revolution?
10:06

14 days free access

The Evidence

Flip through the Evidence a set of primary sources and inspiring ideas connected to the Idea. With our specialized comments, you'll see how the concepts we shared go beyond platitudes, but rather stem from age old sources of the Hebrew Bible and other significant texts.

  • Is Having a King a Good Thing?
  • ...Or is Having a King a Terrible Thing?
  • Human Kings are Compared to Idols
  • We Must Take Responsibility For Each Other

The Relevance

Dive into the Relevance where you get something to read, watch, and listen to. That takes the concepts you explored in the Idea and brings them to life in the world around you. Click to benefit from these pieces of relevance.

  • The Founding Fathers always looked to the Hebrew Bible for inspiration
  • Anointing kings to rule over you is, and has always been, a tricky proposition
  • Idol-worship isn’t just some problem from long ago. It’s a challenge we still grapple with today in many different forms
  • We all have certain rights as human beings. But we also have responsibilities, and those are just as important!
  • Building a community isn’t someone else’s job. It’s your job!
A Path guided by

Rabbi
Dr. Ari Lamm

Rabbi Dr. Ari Lamm is the founder of The Joshua Project. He is one of the youngest leaders of a major Jewish organization in the U.S., serving as chief executive of Bnai Zion, which has supported educational and humanitarian projects in the United States and Israel for over 112 years. Rabbi Lamm is a Princeton-trained historian of religion.