For more than three decades, Thomas L. Thompson has written at the intersection of biblical theology and archaeology. Origin Tradition of Ancient asks important questions about historicity in general and Israel's history in particular-including, perhaps most importantly, at what point Israel's history begins. After surveying the recent literature on the subject, Thompson closely examines the Pentateuchal tradition as a narrative of Israel's history, and offers detailed exegesis of the historical narratives in Genesis and Exodus, including Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and the sojourn in the wilderness. He closes with a discussion of chronology and historiography.