Distinguished Old Testament scholar Anderson has drawn together theologians and bible scholars from the US, England, and Germany to produce a substantial reference work in two volumes. Volume I (19098-2): The Old Testament/The Hebrew Bible . Volume II (19099-0): The Apocrypha and The New Testament . The 62 original essays, ranging from 3,000 to 25,000 words, explore the history, style, meaning and influence of each book in the Old and New Testament and the Apocrypha. While there is considerable discussion of such historical questions as authorship, chronology, translation, and the debates of early religious leaders over which writings to include, the emphasis is on reading the scriptures as literature. Contrary to the publisher's description, volume II is not separately indexed, though it is included in the comprehensive index. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or. - (Book News)