"Positioning himself between those who seek origins and those who regard such quests with postmodern skepticism, Weitzman sheds light on variegated accounts of Jewish origins in different realms--from genealogical research and biblical scholarship to archaeology, psychoanalysis, and genetic research. A brilliant book--profoundly original and engaging, exhibiting a rare spirit of exploration. We will all be learning from it for a long time." --Ilana Pardes, author of Agnon's Moonstruck Lovers "Weitzman is a spirited and empathetic guide on an expedition through the quest to understand Jewish origins, from biblical studies to the latest investigations in population genetics. He unfailingly confronts the challenges of his inquiry with candor and erudition. The book gathers a remarkable exchange among diverse lines of scholarship in a single captivating conversation." --Noah Rosenberg, professor of biology, Stanford University "The long duration of the history of the Jews is paralleled by an almost equally long tradition of searching after their roots. This quest is masterfully narrated and keenly analyzed by Weitzman, who enlists a rich array of disciplines ranging from biblical philology and archeology to psychoanalysis and genetic science.

His elegantly accessible prose and imaginative scholarly thinking combine to make this immensely informative book a pleasure to read." --Galit Hasan-Rokem, professor emerita, Hebrew University of Jerusalem "Compellingly argued and very original. Only a scholar whose mind is as fertile as Weitzman's and whose curiosity is as intense as his could have pulled off a book like this with such success." --Saul M. Olyan, author of Disability in the Hebrew Bible: Interpreting Mental and Physical Differences "Weitzman's scholarship is sound and informative." --Ronald Hendel, author of The Book of "Genesis": A Biography.