Table of Contents

Preface

Other Resources

Pentateuch: Introduction
Genesis
Ancient Near Eastern Mythology and the Old Testament
Ancient Near Eastern Flood Accounts
The Religion of Abraham
Major Trade Routes in the Ancient Near East
Exodus
The Date of the Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
The Covenant and Ancient Near Eastern Treaties

Historical Literature: Introduction
Joshua
Egyptian Information About Canaan and Israel
Judges
The Political Climate in the Early Iron Age
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
The Western Campaigns of Tiglath-Pileser III, 734-732
1 Chronicles
Significance of Genealogies to Postexilic Audience
2 Chronicles
Sennacherib's Inscriptions
Lachish
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Herodotus

Wisdom and Poetic Literature: Introduction
Job
Retribution Principle
Psalms
Common Concepts
Common Metaphors for God
Musical Terms
Proverbs
Proverbs Echoed in Ancient Near East
How Proverbs Were Used
Proverbs As Generalized Truth
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
Sexual Metaphor

Prophetic Literature: Introduction
Isaiah
Afterlife Beliefs in Israel and the Ancient Near East
Jeremiah
Seals and Bullae
Lamentations
Laments over Fallen Cities in the Ancient World
Ezekiel
Daniel
Akkadian Apocalypses
Hosea
Joel
Day of Yahweh
Amos
Economic Changes and Social Classes in Eighth-Century Israel
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Apocalyptic Literature
Summary of the Temple-Building Connections to Zechariah's Visions
Malachi

Glossary

Charts and Maps

Topical Index

About the Author

Mark W. Chavalas is professor of history at the University of Wisconsin--La Crosse. He is also editor of Emar: The History, Religion, and Culture of a Syrian Town in the Late Bronze Age, (with John L. Hayes) New Horizons in the Study of Ancient Syria and (with K. L. Younger Jr.) Syria-Mesopotamia and the Bible.

John H. Walton (PhD, Hebrew Union College) is professor of Old Testament, emeritus, at Wheaton College and Graduate School. His many books include The Lost World of Genesis One and Wisdom for Faithful Reading.

Victor H. Matthews is dean of the College of Humanities and Public Affairs and professor of religious studies at Missouri State University (Springfield, Missouri). He has written several books on the Old Testament, including Manners and Customs in the Bible: An Illustrated Guide to Life in Bible Times, (with James Moyer) The Old Testament: Text and Context and (with Don C. Benjamin) The Social World of Ancient Israel.

Reviews

"Users of Craig Keener's IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament will be delighted to have a companion volume on a period both more remote in time and exotic in cultural background. . . . This volume . . . fills a need not addressed by any other book I know. It will open the eyes of lay readers to the vast and still largely untapped resources of ancient Near Eastern archaeology and texts for the understanding of the Old Testament. I predict a warm and enthusiastic reception for the book."
*Harry A. Hoffner Jr., Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago*

"This volume [The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Genesis--Deuteronomy, a precursor to this new, complete OT volume] provides Bible readers who have little knowledge of the ancient world an abundance of information on the sociocultural background of texts throughout the Pentateuch. The authors present the materials in a clear, concise, straightforward manner. . . . This book is a splendid tool that provides ready access to the cultural background of the books of the Pentateuch."
*Themelios*