A narrative portion of the Hebrew Bible overflowing with action and character, the books included in Ancient Israel move from folk memories of magically powerful figures to a finely wrought historical account of deadly court intrigue - among the greatest in all of Western literature. Taken together they form a rich panorama of the rise and decline of ancient Israel, a narrative of bloody conquest, national consolidation, fragmentation and defeat. Pulsing through Robert Alter's new translation is a people's vision of God, history and national purpose.