New in paperback. Hardcover was published in 2006. Biblical studies is a highly technical and diverse field. This authoriative and state-of-the-art survey of original research will, therefore, be invaluable to scholars and students, who need to command linguistic, historical, literary, and hilosophical skills. Forty-five original contributions by leading figures in the discipline review and analyse current thinking and work and give critical examinations of the progress and direction of debates.