Drawing on the latest biblical scholarship, Ceresko has written a text that will change the way students read the Bible. While covering standard issues such as the literary formation of the texts and their religious themes, Ceresko goes behind the texts to uncover the social background and the vital history of competing interests reflected in the Bible.

Applying Norman Gottwald's thesis on Israel's origins, Ceresko argues that Israel was formed through a process of social revolution, inspired by the mem-ory of runaway slaves from Egypt and their worship of Yahweh, a God whose cult mandated radical social equality and justice. The subsequent history of Israel is viewed in terms of the people's faithfulness to this covenant-a faith-fulness expressed not only in pure worship, but in continued justice and mercy

Designed especially for a one-semester course, Introduction to the Old Tes-tament features discussion questions, bibliographical notes, and many maps and illustrations.

"Two important features commend this book. On the one hand, sociological study in the past two decades has mandated that an introduction be written which takes account of new questions not surfaced by more conventional historical criticism. Introduction to the Old Testament persistently attends to the sociological issues, and to the ways in which social power is operative in and through the texts. Second, this Introduction is a pedagogical achieve-ment. Not only is the book clearly organized, it also makes available a mass of data offered in a way that will not overwhelm a beginning student. Moreover, the questions raised at the end of each chapter will make this book

easily accessible for classroom use." -Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary