war and violence in bible

Those who have read the Bible may agree that there is quite a bit of violence mentioned in it. What is the reason for depicting so much about war and violence in the Bible? We find out in this article. Question: I study Torah and really enjoy its beauty and I try to follow its lessons as much as possible. There is one "detail," however, which really bothers me. Why does the Torah mandate cruelty and war? Why do we have to "wipe out" Amalek and the Canaanites? Why administer capital punishment?