Lucidly written by leading biblical scholar Michael D. Coogan, this balanced, engaging, and up-to-date introduction to the Hebrew scriptures distills the best of current scholarship. Employing the narrative chronology of the Bible itself and the history of the ancient Near East as a framework, Coogan covers all the books of the Hebrew Bible, along with the deuterocanonical books included in the Bible used by many Christians. He treats every book of the canon with careful attention to its historical context, its particular genre, and its distinctive features. Dealing in detail with ancient Near Eastern sources and archaeological data, Coogan works from a primarily historical and critical methodology but also introduces students to literary analysis and other interpretive strategies, especially current ones. The Old Testament: A Historical and Literary Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures is enhanced by a glossary, timelines, photos, illustrations, maps, and a four-color insert on Jerusalem in biblical times. Strategically placed boxes address issues that often puzzle readers of the Bible, provide models of interpretation of particular texts, and discuss their significance for Judaism and Christianity. Each chapter includes a preview and summary, key terms, questions for review and discussion, and suggestions for further reading.

NEW TO THIS EDITION * Fully revised and updated throughout * Two new introductory chapters that provide students with the context necessary to analyze the biblical texts--one on the composition of the Old Testament and one on the history and geography of the ancient Near East and how it influenced the Hebrew Bible. * An updated Instructor's Manual and Testbank on CD and a Companion Website at www.oup.com/us/coogan featuring resources for both instructors and students * A FREE 6-month subscription to Oxford Biblical Studies Online (www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com), edited by Michael D. Coogan, which provides students with unrivalled access to six essential Oxford Bibles; Concordances; the Oxford Bible Commentary; nearly 5,000 A-Z articles, from Abel to Zion, integrated with chapter-based scholarly works; hundreds of images and maps; and countless other internet resources.