Did kings Saul, David and Solomon exist, who was the author of the Pentateuch and what events described in the Old Testament actually happened? Analyzing the most complex mysteries of biblical studies, Russian scholar Andrei Desnitsky asks the question: is it legitimate to consider the Holy Scriptures as a historical source? Can we reconstruct the biblical past using the scientific method, and how much of our reconstruction is determined by subjective expectations? The author correlates the problems of archaeological data and written sources, traces the connection between myth and history, the origin of Ancient Israel and the formation of its statehood. This is a fascinatingly presented, qualified scientific work that allows the reader to take a fresh look at the plots of one of the most important books in the history of mankind.