How to Read the Bible Politically

While the Hebrew Bible can’t tell you whom to vote for, argues Joshua Berman, much of it can and should be understood as addressing political questions, as it is a work deeply—perhaps primarily—concerned with national and civic life. For instance, the book of Exodus depicts the people of Israel as descended entirely from slaves; it also reports every man, woman, and child hearing the word of God at Sinai. Berman sees these two teachings as the foundation for the Western idea of equality, in which no person can claim a superior bloodline or a monopoly on a connection with the divine. He also explains how the book of Joshua teaches that “it takes a village to make a sinner.” (Interview by Dru Johnson. Audio, 22 minutes.)