Now revised and completely updated, this important text for the beginning student and seminarian is once again available. Written by two internationally known German biblical scholars, this book has been a standard reference book in Europe and America since the 1960s. The material covered gives concise descriptions of all the critical methods used by biblical exegetes today, and clear directions for students to use these methods on their own to become equipped to decide for themselves among the many conflicting opinions about textual problems in the Bible. Otto Kaiser covers the basic skills needed for the Old Testament, and Werner Kümmel those needed for the New Testament.