Description:This book has been several years in the making, and much is owed to many advisers andhelpers, as well as to the contributors. I am particularly indebted to its commissioningeditor, Richard Stoneman, who first conceived the idea, and to his assistants CocoStevenson and Catherine Bousfield who have seen it through to publication.;pt. 1. The Bible. Old Testament/Hebrew Bible / Rex Mason -- The Apocrypha / Adele Reinhartz -- The New Testament / Christopher Tuckett -- pt. 2. Genres. Near Eastern myths and legends / Stephanie Dalley -- Historiography in the Old Testament / A.D.H. Mayes -- Prophecy / Graeme Auld -- Wisdom / Katharine Dell -- Apocalypticism / Christopher Rowland -- The Jewish novel / Lawrence M. Wills -- The gospels / John Muddiman -- Letters in the New Testament and in the Greco-Roman world / Harry Gamble -- pt. 3. Documents. Text and versions : the Old Testament / Carmel McCarthy -- Text and versions : the New Testament / David Parker -- The Dead Sea scrolls / George J. Brooke -- Hebrew inscriptions / Graham Davies -- The Cairo Genizah / Stefan C. Reif -- The gnostic gospels / Alastair H.B. Logan -- Early Jewish biblical interpretation / Alison Salvesen -- Early Christian biblical interpretation / Mark Edwards -- pt. 4. History. Biblical archaeology / Felicity J. Cobbing -- Palestine during the Bronze Age / J. Maxwell Miller -- Palestine during the Iron Age / Keith W. Whitelam -- The age of the exile / Joseph Blenkinsopp -- Israel under Persia and Greece / Lester L. Grabbe -- Judaea under Roman rule, 63 BCE-135 CE / Sarah Pearce -- Israel's neighbours / Bustenay Oded -- pt. 5. Institutions. The Hebrew and Aramaic languages / John Huehnergard and Jo Ann Hackett -- The Greek language / John Muddiman -- Warfare / Thomas M. Bolin -- The arts : architecture, music, poetry, psalmody / Susan Gillingham -- Law and administration in the New Testament world / J. Duncan M. Derrett -- Religion in pre-exilic Israel ; Religion in Israel during and after the exile / Rainer Albertz -- Judaism at the turn of the era / Jarl Fossum -- The first churches : social life ; The first churches : religious practice / Justin J. Meggitt -- pt. 6. Biblical figures. Israel's ancestors : the patriarchs and matriarchs / George W. Ramsey -- Moses / John Van Seters -- David and Solomon / Gwilym H. Jones -- Jesus / Robert Morgan -- Paul / David G. Horrell -- pt. 7. Religious ideas. Salvation in Jewish thought / Dan Cohn-Sherbok -- Salvation in Christian thought / Andrew Chester -- Interpretations of the identity and role of Jesus / Catrin H. Williams -- Death and afterlife / John J. Collins -- Purity / Gordon Wenham -- pt. 8. The Bible today. Jewish Bible translation / Leonard J. Greenspoon -- Christian Bible translation / Henry Wansbrough -- Modern biblical interpretation / William R. Telford.