What did the early israelites read?

Answer 1

The traditions of their early forefathers. From the beginning, they had parchments on which their early traditions were recorded (midrash Shemot Rabbah 5:18) which they studied regularly (ibid).

Answer 2

1) From the time of Moses*, they read the Torah* (Talmud, Bava Kama 82a).
2) Even before Moses, they had Israelite parchments on which their early traditions were recorded (midrash Shemot Rabbah 5:18) which they studied regularly (ibid). These included the entire book of Genesis (ibid. 5:22), which had been prophetically written by the Forefathers themselves*. They may have also had such ancient texts as the Book of Yashar (see Joshua 10:13), the Book of the Generations of Man (Genesis ch.5), the Book of the Wars of the Lord (see Numbers 21:14) and others.

Note also, that education and literacy among Israelite males was never far from one hundred percent. This is borne out by Judges 8:14, in which a boy, taken at random, was able to write a list of seventy-seven names.

*See also the Related Links

1) More about Moses

2) More about the Torah

3) More about the Israelite Forefathers