"This book was written as a basic introductory study for undergraduates.  Given this audience, I have had the difficult task of covering an enormous subject in as concise a fashion as possible, being fully aware that in doing so I run the risk of omitting much that is important.  I have tried to convey not only something of the substance and character of the Old Testament, but also an understanding of the world from which it emerged.  In addition, I have attempted to give some indication of how the Old Testament is treated in modern biblical scholarship." (from the Preface, by Peter C. Craigie)