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  • Essay / The relevance of ancient texts in today's society

    Ancient texts are used as guides and references for people today. Some people live by their rules, laws and stories and really take them to heart. Many of these texts have been read and interpreted by students, historians and teachers around the world for many generations. Three specific texts, the Tanakh, Sophocles' Antigone and Plato's Apology, are examples that have been analyzed and discussed for many years. There are key concepts in each of these works that are still relevant in today's society and others that should be left in the past. The Tanakh provides the basis for the Jewish/Hebrew religion of the third century BCE (Trulove, Woelfel, Aauerbach, & Buller, 2007). A centralized theme addressed in the Tanakh goes against a higher power. In Genesis, God told Adam and Eve "'you shall not eat of [the tree of knowledge of good and evil] nor touch it, lest you die'" (Trulove et al., 2007, p. 40). Adam and Eve chose to eat a piece of fruit from the tree; as a result, God banished them from the Garden of Eden (Trulove et al., 2007). As a result of their sin, the world became corrupt and “filled with lawlessness” (Trulove et al., 2007, p. 43). In these cases, the higher power was the God of the people. When they disobeyed him, they suffered the consequences. These consequences were all the more serious because a divine power was in control. Likewise, in the Exodus, the Pharaoh “put masters over [the Israelites] to oppress them and subject them to forced labor” (Trulove et al., 2007, p. 58). Pharaoh established rules and punishments that the taskmasters were to inflict on the Israelites. In this situation, the higher power was the ruler of the country. The Israelites were not only expected to follow the laws set forth by the Pha...... middle of paper ...heaven and under the earth” instead of the god the state allowed people to worship. People in all countries, not just the United States, should be free to worship as they see fit. Fortunately, in the United States, our Constitution prevents the government from controlling our religious freedoms. In summary, even if ancient texts are considered as reference, they should not always be taken literally. Some concepts, including gender roles, government-designated religions, and covenants with God, need to or have already been removed. On the other hand, the determination to do what is morally and legally appropriate must continue to be an integral part of modern society. People should examine these ancient works, analyze how different civilizations handled success as well as conflict, and try to incorporate the lessons learned into their own lives...