What part did the Hebrew Bible, Law, and the Prohpets play in the developement of Hebrew religion and society?

The law was essential for forming the identity of Israel
in the late 13th century BCE. The laws passed down orally by Moses shaped tradition
which set the Israelites apart from other nations. Israel was a confederacy of tribes
with no central government. The tribes were linked through the
covenant.

The Monarchy changed a tribal confederacy into a
complex empire organized under the crown. King David probably commissioned the first
written accounts of the Hebrew Bible in the 10th century BCE to recount Yahweh’s saving
action in order to draw the tribes together into one society using a common
history.

The Prophets reminded the people of the
stipulations in the covenant, but the people would not listen. Yet after Assyria
conquered Northern Israel in 722 BCE and the Babylonians conquered Judah in 597 BCE, the
prophets became essential. They offered an explanation for the fall (God’s justifiable
punishment for not following the covenant law) and kept hope alive for the future (God
will not abandon you).

In the Hebrew Bible, the Pentateuch
takes on its final form, probably in the 6th century BCE, reminding the people of their
stories and giving them a common heritage to unite
them.

After the Jews return from exile in the 5th century,
the law again plays an essential role. With no geographical boundaries or national
institutions, the Jews needed to find an external form for their identity. They relied
on Sabbath laws, circumcision, and ritual purity laws to differentiate them from their
neighbors.