History of Ten Commandments in Timeline

The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue, are a set of religious and moral imperatives given by God to Moses in the Hebrew Bible. They are presented as a covenant and appear in varying forms in Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21, and the Ritual Decalogue of Exodus 34:11-26. These commandments are foundational to both Judaism and Christianity, providing principles for worship and ethical conduct. They address monotheism ('You shall have no other gods before me'), prohibition of idolatry ('You shall not make idols'), reverence ('Do not take the Lord's name in vain'), Sabbath observance ('Remember the Sabbath day'), honoring parents, and prohibitions against murder, adultery, theft, false witness, and coveting. They establish guidelines for a moral society.

1953: Albrecht Alt's Interpretation of the Commandment Against Stealing

In 1953, German Old Testament scholar Albrecht Alt suggested that the commandment against stealing was originally intended to prevent the abduction and enslavement of people, aligning with the Talmudic interpretation of "thou shalt not kidnap."

1956: Cecil B. DeMille's Publicity Stunt

In 1956, director Cecil B. DeMille placed hundreds of monuments to the Ten Commandments as a publicity stunt to promote his film The Ten Commandments.

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1980: U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Ten Commandments Display in Kentucky

In 1980, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Stone v. Graham that a Kentucky statute requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in public classrooms was unconstitutional because it lacked a nonreligious legislative purpose.

October 2011: Thomas S. Monson's Address on the Ten Commandments

In October 2011, Church president and prophet Thomas S. Monson emphasized that "The Ten Commandments are just that—commandments, not suggestions." His address, aligning with the Septuagint numbering, featured quotations listing the commandments without the prologue.

2015: Thomas Römer's Argument on the Ark of the Covenant

In 2015, Thomas Römer argued that the tablets of the law in the Ark of the Covenant were a substitute for something else, suggesting that the original Ark contained a cult image of Yhwh brought into the Jerusalem temple under Josiah, possibly symbolized by two sacred stones or cult image statues.

2023: Introduction of Texas Senate Bill 1515

In 2023, Texas Republican politician Phil King introduced SB 1515, of the 88th Session of the Texas Senate, proposing the mandatory display of the Ten Commandments in every Texas public school classroom. However, the bill lapsed in the State House when the session closed without a vote.

June 19, 2024: Louisiana Governor Mandates Ten Commandments Display in Schools

On June 19, 2024, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed House Bill 71, requiring the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom, asserting their historical significance.

November 12, 2024: Temporary Injunction Against Louisiana's Ten Commandments Law

On November 12, 2024, United States District Judge John W. deGravelles granted a temporary injunction in Roake v. Brumley, deeming Louisiana's law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools as "unconstitutional on its face."

November 2024: Emergency Stay Motion Granted in Louisiana Ten Commandments Case

In November 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit granted an emergency stay motion from the state of Louisiana, limiting the ruling to the five parishes whose school boards were named as defendants in the case, regarding the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools.

April 14, 2025: Arkansas Governor Signs Ten Commandments Law

On April 14, 2025, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments into law.

June 2025: Fifth Circuit Rules Louisiana's Ten Commandments Law Unconstitutional

In June 2025, a three-member panel of the Fifth Circuit ruled that Louisiana's law requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in all public school classrooms in the state is unconstitutional and affirmed the lower court's November 2024 decision.

August 2025: Arkansas' Ten Commandments Law Ruled Unconstitutional

In August 2025, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas ruled the Ten Commandments law unconstitutional under Stone v. Graham and granted a preliminary injunction, following a request from plaintiff-parents.

November 2025: Federal Judge Blocks Texas Law Mandating Ten Commandments Display

In November 2025, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction, blocking the state law that required the Ten Commandments be displayed in every classroom of every public school in Texas.

February 20, 2026: En Banc Fifth Circuit Lifts Injunction on Louisiana's Ten Commandments Law

On February 20, 2026, the en banc Fifth Circuit voted 12–6 to lift the injunction, on the grounds that it was premature to decide the law's constitutionality before it had been enacted, regarding Louisiana's law on displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools. Some judges argued it affirmed the nation's traditions, while dissenters viewed it as government-endorsed religion.