This ethnographic account examines the mourning rituals and scholarly community surrounding the death of Yehezkel Kaufmann, a prominent biblical scholar at Hebrew University. Through participant observation, the author documents the week-long mourning period following Kaufmann's burial in 1963, including evening prayer services (ma'ariv minyan) held in the deceased scholar's Jerusalem apartment. The methodology combines personal narrative with scholarly biography, revealing Kaufmann's contributions to biblical studies through readings from his major works during the mourning services. Key findings illuminate Kaufmann's revolutionary thesis regarding early Israelite monotheism, which challenged the prevailing Wellhausen School by arguing that monotheism originated during the Mosaic desert period rather than through later prophetic development. The study reveals how Kaufmann's scholarship, written primarily in modern Hebrew, remained largely inaccessible to Christian biblical scholars, limiting his international recognition despite his profound insights into Israel's religious uniqueness. The research documents the participation of Israel's President and leading Jewish scholars as mourners, highlighting Kaufmann's significance within Israeli academic circles. The account emphasizes the tragedy of Kaufmann's incomplete eight-volume "History of the Religion of Israel" and his solitary existence dedicated entirely to scholarship. This work contributes to understanding both the social dynamics of scholarly communities and the intellectual legacy of a transformative biblical scholar whose work redefined comprehension of ancient Israelite religion.