Full Idea
The Torah was not just a book about God. It pre-existed creation, in the same way as God did. In fact, it was the blueprint of creation.
Gist of Idea
The Torah pre-existed creation, and was its blueprint
Source
Paul Johnson (The History of the Jews [1987], Pt III)
Book Reference
Johnson,Paul: 'A History of the Jews' [Phoenix 1993], p.179
A Reaction
You can only become a 'people of the book' (which Moslems resented in Judaism, and then emulated) if you give this stupendously high status to your book. Hence Christian fundamentalism makes sense, with its emphasis on the divinity of the Bible.