Ancient texts studied in any Western civilization course obviously have relevance to today's society both through the values ​​they themselves possess and through the works they inspired; however, not all values ​​presented in these works are still relevant in the modern world. The Tanakh, Sophocles' Antigone and Plato's Apology are no exception to this rule. Each of these works has central ideas that are incredibly applicable to our modern culture and ideas that are less than appropriate in the twenty-first century. Across cultures and religions, perhaps one of the most recognizable passages of the Tanakh are the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-14). Here, God gives Moses ten laws, which are to govern the Israelites. While this passage may seem relevant because many people, especially those of the Jewish and Christian faiths, still observe these laws, it is relevant to today's society for an entirely different reason. These Ten Commandments are one of the first sets of written laws, and today countries around the world still have sets of written laws to govern themselves. Other guidelines and laws are presented in Exodus 20:22-23:33 covering topics ranging from slavery to the murder of other people and all of these laws together constituted "a remarkably humane and 'egalitarian' body of social legislation" (Trulove 34). For any society to function properly, whether past or present, it is vital that there is a set of universal guidelines that guide the people and organizations of which said society is made up. Another characteristic element of many books of the Tanakh are the long lists of family lineages. For example, the entire fifth chapter of Genesis, 32 verses in all, is a “record…half of the paper…me” (34). Furthermore, Socrates comments on the corruption that afflicts those who use emotional tactics or family-related appeals to try to escape harsh punishments for criminal charges (36-37). Of course, with fraudulent charges and defenses full of emotional appeals, the judicial system of Athens in Socrates' time was far from ideal. In America, the legal system is obviously more regulated than this; however, keeping in mind the corrupt justice systems of the past can help keep that negative aspect of Athenian life out of our lives. As demonstrated, many of the early works of Western civilization are still applicable in today's society. While some of the ideas contained in these ancient texts have had relevance throughout time and are still applicable today, while others have no place in current times, there is much to learn from the works of the past..