Did Kings Saul, David, and Solomon actually exist? Who authored the Pentateuch, and which events described in the Old Testament truly took place? In exploring the most complex enigmas of biblical studies, Russian scholar Andrey Desnitsky asks: is it valid to treat Holy Scripture as a historical source? Can we reconstruct the biblical past using the scientific method, and to what extent are such reconstructions shaped by subjective expectations? The author examines the interplay between archaeological evidence and written records, tracing the connections between myth and history, as well as the origins of Ancient Israel and the emergence of its statehood.