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Television: The Wire in its fifth and last season is mercilessly consistent in its vision of a fallen world | Marvin Olasky

The grittiness of some historical accounts is one way the Bible differs from other ancient scriptures. Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim religious writings, for example, claim that holy men such as The Buddha and Muhammad were perfect. Many biblical heroes, though, sinned early and often.

Criminal justice professor Mark Jones brings this out in Criminals of the Bible: 25 Case Studies of Biblical Crimes and Outlaws (FaithWalk, 2006). Jacob's sons alone—the forebears of Israel's 12 tribes—had a rap sheet as long as a scroll, with fornication, murder, human trafficking, and prostitution prominently displayed. Moses, who brought down from Mount Sinai tablets that said, "Do not murder," was a murderer.