It’s hard to believe that when I was in elementary school our literature curriculum in Saskatchewan required us to memorize biblical texts like Psalm 23, Ecclesiastes 12:1–8, and the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3–12. And we took considerable delight in reading other parts of the Bible. It wasn’t that the provincial government or the local school boards were trying to convert anyone. It was universally recognized that the Bible contained a vast supply of magnificent literature that needed to be studied alongside Homer, Shakespeare, and William Wordsworth. People were not considered literate if they did not have at least a minimal appreciation for stories like those of Abraham or David or Jesus, and for delightful short stories like the books of Ruth and Jonah, or the impassioned poetry of the Psalms. Today, biblical literacy is so low that if public figures allude to biblical themes or quote fragments of biblical texts, few recognize them as Scripture. But we need to read the Old Testament along with other great books because it ranks among the best literature in the world.