The Texas Ten Commandments Monument
The Ten Commandments Monument in Texas reflects all three major traditions
regarding the enumeration of the Ten Commandments. It includes the heart of
the Jewish first commandment, "I am the Lord your God," at the top of the
monument, though Christians who were not aware that this statement was
considered the first commandment in Judaism would probably just assume
by its position that it was the title of the inscription. The Jewish and
Catholic traditions of combining the first two Protestant commandments into
one are reflected by the slight indentation before the words, "Thou shalt
not make to thyself any graven images." The Catholic tradition of splitting
the Protestant tenth commandment into two separate commandments is reflected
on the monument by having the two sections of the Protestant commandment
begin separate lines. The monument subtly presents all three versions of
the Ten Commandments in ways that are almost invisible to the unsuspecting
Jew or Christian familiar only with his or her traditional understanding
of the passage.