Much of the Old Testament can be read as a collection of stories about a small tribe becoming a nation and fighting for their survival over hundreds of years. The stories are interesting not always because they are nice but also often because they are not. Not everyone portrayed there is a hero.

Then again, that is probably how it was and when I read the old viking stories they are equally - if not more violent.

I have also enjoyed reading both the Viking age Håvamål as well as the ancient Proverbs (as well as a number of other sources).

Though as I recall the old testament has more quotably poetic one-liners.

That is kind of a myth. For example the concept of Hell and eternal punishment is from the NT.