Close reading of selections from the Jewish Bible (Old Testament) that address the nature of political leadership, the nation, justice, and the best form of government. Examination of politics in the Bible and in the Israelite nation. Comparison with works from other cultures (Greece, Rome, Islamic world) that focus on justice and biographies of political leaders. In addition to the Bible, readings may include Sophocles’ Antigone, Machiavelli’s The Prince, the Roman Stoics, and Arabic political texts.