On the same day the Thirteen Colonies declared independence from Great Britain, the Continental Congress appointed the First Committee to design the Great Seal of the United States. Committeeman Benjamin Franklin proposed a scene with the Israelites and Moses standing on the shore, his hand outstretched over the sea, causing the waters to overwhelm Pharaoh and his army. Pharaoh is in an open chariot with a crown on his head and a sword in his hand. The Pillar of Fire is in the sky above Moses; its rays are reaching down to him to express that his actions are commanded by the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The motto circling the seal reads: “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.”
