worthless. On the contrary, I believe these texts are of enormous historical value. But as we have observed, the historical value of these texts often has more to do with the author’s historical context than the story’s. When reading Old Testament narratives, we can learn a great deal about ancient customs, the nature of kingship, foreign relations, military practices, and so on. In some instances, we can also learn about specific historical events, such as the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians