Preface vPart One An Introduction to the Bible and the Biblical World Chapter 1 The Bible: An OverviewChapter 2 How the Bible Was Created: Transmission, Canonization, and TranslationChapter 3 The Ancient Near East: The Environment That Produced the Bible Part Two The Torah (Divine Instruction) Chapter 4 The Five Books of Torah (the Pentateuch): Themes and Theories Chapter 5 In the Beginning: The Book of GenesisChapter 6 Freedom and Responsibility: The Book of ExodusChapter 7 Law, Holiness, and Rebellion: The Books of Leviticus and Numbers Chapter 8 A New Vision of Moses' Teaching: The Book of Deuteronomy Part Three The Prophets I Chapter 9 The Story of Ancient Israel: How the Promised Land Was Gained and LostChapter 10 Faith and War: The Book of Joshua Chapter 11 Yahweh's Warriors: The Book of JudgesChapter 12 The Rise of David and the Birth of a Kingdom: The Books of 1 and 2 SamuelChapter 13 From the Glory of Solomon to Exile in Babylon: The Books of 1 and 2 KingsPart Four The Prophets II Chapter 14Israel's Spokespersons for GodChapter 15 Prophets to the Northern Kingdom: The Oracles of Amos and Hosea Chapter 16 Prophets of the Assyrian Threat: The Oracles of Isaiah, Micah, Zephaniah, and NahumChapter 17 Prophets of the Babylonian Crisis: The Oracles of Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and Obadiah Chapter 18 Prophets in Exile: The Oracles of Ezekiel and Second Isaiah Chapter 19 After the Exile-Israel's Last Prophets: The Oracles of Haggai, Zechariah, Third Isaiah, Joel, Malachi, and JonahPart Five The Writings Chapter 20 After the Exile: Israel's Changing Life with GodChapter 21 The Postexilic Readjustment: The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah Chapter 22 Worshiping at the Second Temple: Hebrew Poetry and the Book of PsalmsChapter 23Israel's Wisdom Writers: The Books of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes Chapter 24 Festival Scrolls: The Books of Ruth, Song of Songs, Lamentations, and EstherChapter 25 Reinterpreting Israel's History: The Books of 1 and 2 Chronicles Chapter 26 Keeping God's Law in a Hostile World: Revolt of the Maccabees and the Book of DanielChapter 27 The Second Canon: Books of the ApocryphaPart Six The New TestamentChapter 28 The World in Which Christianity Originated: Roman Power, Greek Culture, and the Cult of Deified RulersChapter 29 First-Century Judaism: Diversity, Messianic Expectations, and the Birth of Christianity Chapter 30 Telling Jesus' Story: The Gospel of MarkChapter 31 The Synoptic Problem: The Gospel of Matthew and Its Relationship to the Gospels of Mark and LukeChapter 32 Jesus as a Savior for "All Nations": The Gospel of Luke Chapter 33 Another Way of Telling Jesus' Story: The Gospel of John Chapter 34 An Account of Early Christianity: The Book of ActsChapter 35 Paul and the Gentile Mission: Letters to Churches at Thessalonica, Corinth, Galatia, Rome, Philippi, and ColossaeChapter 36 Continuing the Pauline Tradition: Second Thessalonians, Colossians, Ephesians, and the Pastoral Epistles Chapter 37General Letters on Faith and Behavior: Hebrews and the Catholic EpistlesChapter 38 Continuing the Apocalyptic Hope: The Book of Revelation Chapter 39 Our Biblical Legacy: Evolving Concepts of GodGlossaryIndex