With characteristic understatement, R. K. Harrison embarked on this massive attempt and produced a volume that for scrupulous detail, scholarly rigor, and sheer erudition has remained unmatched for nearly fifty years.
 
Writing from his own apparently limitless scholarship combined with a conservative perspective, Harrison first reviews the entire history of Old Testament criticism and sets the Hebrew scriptures in their full historical and theological context. He then presents a detailed discussion of each Old Testament book, along with a lucid overview of the apocryphal books.
 
Harrison's engagement of the perennial issues and problems of Old Testament scholarship make this classic text a vital foundation for a new generation of scholars. For contemporary Old Testament studies, this highly respected volume continues to be the essential point of departure.