It is the central thesis of this book that the Hebrews began as a nomadic people; that their life and literature continued, long after they settled, to reflect their origins; and that the Old Testament can best be understood in the light of their nomadic tribal culture. In my belief, it is the failure to see the Hebrews as they really were, astonishing as this may seem, which lies at the root of much of our trouble in translating and interpreting the inspired writings." Thus the author suggests that it is vital to establish what the Hewbrews were like at the very beginning of their history, that our interpretation must be based on the actual facts of ancient Hebrew life, in so far as these can be determined, and that we must take the original Hebrew text of the Bible at face value.