Much of the Old Testament looks like history. Yet, a close reading of the biblical text in conjunction with other ancient literature and archaeological evidence indicates that its accounts of 'events' are often inaccurate or or untrue. What then were the goals of the ancient biblical historians? How are we to read these texts if nit as history? The Creation of History in Ancient Israel explores a set of biblical texts, which offer answers to these questions. It examines the Book of Chronicles, which presents the clearest model for how ancient biblical historians might have worked. Marc Zvi Brettler, a leading authority in this field, the surveys text from Genesis, Deuteronomy, Judges and Samuel which illustrate how biblical historians were influenced by typology, interpretation of earlier texts, satire and ideology.