Rodney Schofield traces the beginnings of Biblical and Qur"anic literature and attempts a reconstruction of their original settings. He reassesses some of the classical theories and shows that the scriptures of the Abrahamic faiths, (Torah, Gospel and Qur"an) possess many shared perspectives, reflecting their common heritage. A better appreciation of this shared legacy, he contends, could promote greater mutual understanding and foster respectful co-existence among believers.