"Insightful and enjoyable. . . . Schniedewinds erudite but still conversational prose brings admirable clarity to ancient breadcrumb trails of evidence. Its an enlightening deep dive into the social world in which the Bible was written." * Publishers Weekly * "[ An] illuminating book." * Library Journal * "An important work in academic biblical studies."---David Tesler, AJL Reviews "An important corrective to the tendency to impose contemporary notions of lone authorship onto these ancient texts." * Choice * "An expertly researched and accessibly written exploration even transformation of what we know or need to rethink about the essential, overlooked or misunderstood roles of scribal communities in the crafting of the Hebrew Scriptures. The book is as insightful as it is engaging, and draws on decades of thoughtful writing and critical research. . . . A must-read."---Andrew B. Perrin, Studies in Religion "Audacious.... By combining archaeological research with textual criticism (the development of Hebrew writing and the genesis of the most famous Hebrew work), [ Schniedewind] uncovers the beginning of a history of how the Bible came to be."---Madoc Cairns, Times Literary Supplement