By using recent developments in literary theory, W. Lee Humphreys uses Genesis to show how God functions as a character in the Genesis narrative. Very creatively, Humphreys explores the coherence and consistency of God as a character, the way in which God's character changes and develops throughout the narrative, and how giving attention to the character of God enriches our experience of reading Genesis.

This relatively brief, nontechnical introduction to the Old Testament captures the dramatic development of the ancient Israelite and early Jewish religious traditions, emphasizing the importance of narrative and memory. By focusing on the Moses-Sinai and David-Zion stories and on three major crises in the history of Jerusalem--the capture of the city by David in the 10th century BCE, its destruction by Babylon in 587 BCE, and its destruction by Rome in 70 CE--Humphreys helps students appreciate the complex interplay between the religious traditions and the political, social, economic, military, and cultural factors that influenced these traditions.