The Context of Scripture

Hallo (Assyriology and Babylonian literature, Yale U.) and Younger (biblical studies, LeTourneau U.) present a selection of translated writings from the Ancient Near East that they hope will provide "horizontal and vertical" context to the Bible (Old Testament): "horizontal" in that the texts are arranged in relation to their historical, geographical, political, and religious settings, and "vertical" in that the entries reference both related biblical passages as well as other texts through time. Over the course of the three volumes, they include literary and religious writings ("canonical compositions"); monumental inscriptions that were clearly intended for long term survival; and archival legal contracts, personal letters, and other material shedding light on the daily lives of people. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

William W. Hallo is the William M. Laffan Professor of Assyriology and Babylonian Literature and Curator of the Babylonian Collection at Yale University. He holds degrees from Harvard, Leiden, and Chicago. He is author or co-author of Seals and Seal Impressions (2001), The Ancient Near East: a History (1998, 1971), Origins (1997), The Book of the People (1991), Scripture in Context (4 vols. 1980-1991), Heritage: Civilization and the Jews (2 vols. 1984), The Tablets of Ebla (1984), Sumerian Archival Texts (1973), The Exaltation of Inanna (1968), and Early Mesopotamian Royal Titles (1957). K. Lawson Younger, Jr., Ph.D. (1988) at the University of Sheffield is Professor of Old Testament, Semitic Languages and Ancient Near Eastern History at Trinity International University -- Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois. He is the author of Ancient Near Eastern Conquest Accounts: A Study of Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical History Writing (1990), co-editor of Mesopotamia and the Bible (2002), as well as numerous scholarly articles and reviews.