ABSTRACT
Ira Sharkansky deals with the political problems in compiling the Bible, the geopolitical context of biblical times, and the question of whether the Bible presents political reality. Historical Israel produced biblical Israel." He also discusses appeals and problems with the Bible's literary devices, and a brief discussion of biblical commentary and scholarship. Most casual readers of the Bible know that Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land, and careful readers of the Hebrew Bible will remember the seemingly trivial transgression that led God to deny him entry. Reading the Bible politically requires readers to be alert to stories that shed insight on the themes. Some biblical leaders were great men, such as Moses, Joshua, and David. What makes the Bible especially interesting for political analysts is that all of the leaders in the Hebrew Bible were flawed. In the fundamental way they are similar to real political leaders.
