The Hebrew Scriptures known as the Torah have formed the basis for any number of societies. While the initial dates for the creation of each book are not precisely known, it is certain that both the Torah and the Haftorah(the prophets) were already existent in nearly their present form by no later than 100 BCE. They began as the Sacred Writings of a people caught in the crossfire of competing empires. And around 587 BCE they served as the basis for a continuing identity for a people that had been taken from its land of origin and exiled elsewhere.