This book includes historical and literary studies arising from a seminar on Biblical History in the Near Eastern Setting sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities. The seminar director, William W. Hallo of Yale University, has contributed the introductory essay on the comparative method. Other essays address biblical topics in the patriarchal narratives, prophetic literature, historical literature, and apocalyptic. The topics are investigated against the background of Near Eastern itineraries, chronicles, mythological texts, prophecies, and other relevant contextual literature.