Historiography is the study of the way history has been and is written (HP2). The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians have studied that topic using particular sources, techniques, and theoretical approaches. The writings of history were questioned and historians became famous when making the study of history a discipline and made sure that the writings therefore are backed up with evidence and close critique. Chapter 11 of the historiography packet specifically focuses on identifying and describing the major trends, philosophies, and contributions of the influential scholars that have shaped the evolution of the western historiography over the last 3,000 years (RWR5).
It was said that the historical writings began with the Hebrews and Greeks. During the first millennium BC the Jews saw themselves to be special in the eyes of their God. The Jews writings were very God centered and based on faith. The Jews did not use primary sources to back up their writings. Conscious of their special role as gods ' 'chosen people,'' the Jews wrote history as a chronicle of their continuing and evolving relationship with the creator (HP3). .
Like the Jews the Greeks believed their gods were in control of nature and the outcome of social affairs, but the Greeks pioneered the writing of history ' 'in self-consciously human terms." By 600 BC Greek philosophers started to investigate natural events and as a result the beginnings of both Greek philosophy and science were established. Arguably the first scientific philosophy of history-which is characterized by an attempt to be non-biased, testimony-based, and comprehensive was produced by the father of history, Herodotus (c. 484-425 BCE) Herodotus "the father of history," wrote history based on observations and thoroughly examining records. In his account of the Greek wars against the Persians he did include some superstition and exaggeration but essentially it was the history of human actions told in human terms (3).