When we read old family letters or hear stories about our great-grandparents, they hold our attention in a particular way. Events from long before we were born are about us: they tell us something important about who we are. If there's a story about great-aunt Mildred on the Oregon Trail as a young child, we want to know that story, because it affects who we are today. Commonly we read the Bible as a historical text, making it a source of facts or doctrines: useful information, but...
