We develop a method for interpreting faint galaxy data which focuses on the integrated light radiated from the galaxy population as a whole. The emission history of the universe at ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared wavelengths is modeled from the present epoch to z~4 by tracing the evolution with cosmic time of the galaxy luminosity density, as determined from several deep spectroscopic samples and the Hubble Deep Field (HDF) imaging survey. The global spectrophotometric properties of field galaxies can be well fit by a simple stellar evolution model, defined by a time-dependent star formation rate (SFR) per unit comoving volume and a universal IMF extending from 0.1 to 125 M_sun. In the best-fit models, the global SFR rises sharply, by about an order of magnitude, from a redshift of zero to a peak value at z~1.5, to fall again at higher redshifts. The models are able to account for the entire background light recorded in the galaxy counts down to the very faint magnitude levels probed by the HDF. Since only 20% of the current stellar content of galaxies is produced at z>2, a rather low cosmic metallicity is expected at these early times, in good agreement with the observed enrichment history of the damped Lyman-αsystems. A ``monolithic collapse'' model, where half of the present-day stars formed at z>2.5 and were shrouded by dust, can be made consistent with the global history of light, but overpredicts the metal mass density at high redshifts as sampled by QSO absorbers.

LaTeX, 33 pages, 9 figures, uses aasms4 style, submitted to ApJ