This volume reconstructs in carefully researched detail the worldview of the ancient Israelites writers responsible for the Hebrew Bible. What was the role of God in their lives? How did they see the relationship between God, nature, and themselves? Contrary to prevailing scholarly understanding, the author argues that the ancient Israelites saw God in a radically different way than the peoples around them. God no longer interconnected everything-humans, nature-but became seen as sharply separated from nature. Elegantly written and powerfully argued, this book is essential reading for anyone wanting to grasp the Hebrew Bible and the ancient world that gave rise to it.