Ancient texts are used as guides and references for people today. Some people live by their rules, laws and stories and truly take them to heart. Many of these texts have been read and interpreted by students, historians, and professors around the world for many generations. Three specific texts, the Tanakh, Sophocles' Antigone, and Plato's Apology, are all 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 some that should be left in the past. The Tanakh provides the foundation for the Jewish/Jewish religion of the third century BC (Trulove, Woelfel, Aauerbach, & Buller, 2007). A centralized theme discussed in the Tanakh is going against a higher power. In Genesis, God told Adam and Eve “'ye shall not eat of it [the tree of the knowledge of good and evil] nor touch it, lest you die'” (Trulove et al., 2007, p. 40). Adam and Eve chose to consume a 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 “full of lawlessness” (Trulove et al., 2007, p. 43). In these cases, the higher power was the people's God. When they disobeyed him, they suffered the consequences. These consequences were more serious because a divine power was responsible. Similarly, in the Exodus, Pharaoh “set up overseers [over the Israelites] to oppress them and force them into forced labor” (Trulove et al., 2007, p. 58). Pharaoh established rules and punishments for overseers to administer to the Israelites. In this situation, the higher power was the ruler of the country. The Israelites not only had to follow the laws established by the Pha… in the center of the paper… in the sky and under the earth” instead of the god the state allowed people to worship. People in every country, not just the United States, should be free to worship as they choose. Fortunately, in the United States, our Constitution prevents the government from controlling our religious freedoms. In summary, although ancient texts are regarded as reference, they should not always be taken literally. Some concepts, including gender roles, government-established religions, and covenants with God, need to be eliminated or have already been eliminated. On the other hand, the determination to do what is morally and legally correct must continue to be an integral part of modern society. People should examine these ancient works, analyze how different civilizations have dealt with success as well as conflicts, and try to incorporate the lessons learned into their own lives..