Kugel has been researching the subject for 15 years and began writing the book 10 years before the book was published. He said there were thousands of texts available, including sermons, apocalyptic visions and retold versions of biblical stories.

"I had a lot of fun doing it. You must read between the lines of what people wrote then," he said.

The Bible As It Was was a finalist in the 1998 National Book Critics Award for non-fiction. It is designed for the general reader and for use in introductory classes at universities and seminaries.

A longer version of over 1,000 pages exists, offering a more comprehensive survey of materials and extensive footnotes.

Kugel, director of the Harvard Center for Jewish Studies and a member of the Harvard Divinity School, has taught the Core class, Literature and Arts C-37, "The Bible and its Interpreters." Although the course will be offered this spring, Kugel will not be the instructor. He is also the author of 40 research articles and eight books.