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As in the widely popular First Edition, Gabel and Wheeler approach the Bible from a literary/historical perspective and study the work as a body of writing produced by real people who intended to convey messages to a real audience. Avoiding assessments of the Bible's truth or authority, the book maintains a rigorously objective tone as it discusses such major issues as the forms and strategies of biblical writing, the actual historical and physical settings of that writing, the process of canon formation, the sources of the Pentateuch, and the nature of such literary biblical genres as prophecy, apocalypse, and gospel. Each chapter is an independent yet related essay, and the Second Edition adds an entirely new section on writing in Biblical times. In addition, the reading lists that follow the chapters have been completely updated to reflect the most recent scholarship. The result is an easy-to-use, exciting presentation of the art of the Bible that is accessible to readers of all kinds.