The Hebrew Bible have parallels with other "scriptures" from the ancient world. Consider the flood story in each tradition: read the different versions of the flood story. How are they different? How are they the same? Discussing what this suggests about the Hebrew Scriptures.
One of the central assumptions of the Jewish faith is Covenant. This covenant conditions the way that they understand their own history. In this light, look Deuteronomy 28:15 - 68. This passage lays out some of the curses that will come upon the Israelites should they choose not to respect this covenant, and honor the requirements of it. Consider how these curses condition the Jewish understanding of their own history, specifically the the destruction of the Northern and Southern Kingdoms by the Assyrians and Babylonians respectively, and the return to Jerusalem under Cyrus.