This comprehensive, introductory textbook is unique in exploring the emergence of the Hebrew Bible in the broader context of world history. It particularly focuses on the influence of pre-Roman empires, empowering students with a richer understanding of Old Testament historiography.

• Provides a historical context for students learning about the development and changing interpretations of biblical texts
• Examines how these early stories were variously shaped by interaction with the Mesopotamian and Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, and Hellenistic empires
• Incorporates recent research on the formation of the Pentateuch
• Reveals how key biblical texts came to be interpreted by Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths
• Includes numerous student-friendly features, such as study questions, review sections, bibliographies, timelines, and illustrations and photos

David M. Carr is Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Professor Carr's book-length publications include From D to Q: A Study of Early Jewish Interpretations of Solomon's Dream at Gibeon (1991); Reading the Fractures of Genesis: Historical and Literary Approaches (1996); The Erotic Word: Sexuality, Spirituality and the Bible (2003); and Writing on the Tablet of the Heart: Origins of  Scripture and Literature (2005).