ABSTRACT
The Bible exists in the modern world both as the sacred book of Christians and Jews, and as a cultural artefact that continues to be important both in literature and as a source of allusions, proverbs, and sayings. Christians often interpret it in a way unlike the reading of other books: as true, relevant, profound, consistent, and according with Christian beliefs. Critical reading attempts instead to read the Bible ‘like any other book’, and that is the approach that will be followed in this book. It is essentially a literary approach. The Bible resonates widely in the general culture of the West, and it has significant roles in political life and thought: the phenomenon of ‘Christian Zionism’ is noted.
