Context of Scripture (4 vols.) / November 15, 2016

Includes the original 3-volume work plus the 4th supplemental volume.

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About the Original Three-Volume Work

Canonical Compositions, Monumental Inscriptions and Archival Documents from the Biblical World.

The Context of Scripture illuminatingly presents the multi-faceted world of ancient writing that forms the colorful background to the literature of the Hebrew Bible. Designed as a thorough and durable reference work for all engaged in the study of the Bible and the ancient Near East, and involving 63 of the world’s outstanding scholars in the field, it provides reliable access to a broad, balanced and representative collection of Ancient Near Eastern texts that have some bearing on the interpretation of the Bible. Translations of recently discovered texts are included, alongside new translations of better-known texts and in some cases the best existing translations of such texts.

The substantial three-volume work, with its specially designed page layout and large format, features full cross-referencing to comparable Bible passages, and new, up-to-date bibliographical annotations with judicious commentary. Its many distinct advantages over other collections will ensure the place of The Context of Scripture as a standard reference work for the 21st century.

“Now that it is complete, this major publication project will clearly replace James B. Pritchard’s long-standard Ancient Near Eastern Texts. The three volumes of The Context of Scripture offer improved renderings of familiar texts, introduce more recently published texts to a wider audience, and shed new light on the Bible by means of detailed introductions and copious annotations. Yet one can happily read the texts without ever consulting the footnotes. The Context of Scripture will no doubt stimulate the reading of the Bible in its ancient context, resulting in a better understanding of what Israel shared with her Near Eastern neighbors, and how she differed from them.”—Alan Millard, Biblical Archaeology Review, 2004.

• Volume I: Canonical Compositions from the Biblical World
• Volume II: Monumental Inscriptions from the Biblical World
• Volume III: Archival Documents from the Biblical World

For great detailed information, see this user’s article.

About the Fourth Supplemental Volume

The Context of Scripture, Volume IV Supplements offers important additions to the previously published three volumes of The Context of Scripture, a major tool for research in the Bible and the ancient Near East. It provides translations of recently discovered texts, alongside new translations of better-known texts, all of which illuminate the literary output found in the Hebrew Bible.