Examines the varied, enormously sophisticated contents of the Bible and sees how certain Western authors were inspired by them.

List of contributors; List of abbreviations; 1. Literature of the Ancient Near East and the Bible Steve A. Wiggins; 2. The primary narrative (Genesis through 2 Kings) Thomas L. Brodie; 3. Reading biblical literature from a legal and political perspective Geoffrey P. Miller; 4. Biblical law and literature Calum Carmichael; 5. Kings, prophets, and judges Graeme Auld; 6. Prophetic literature Victor H. Matthews; 7. Wisdom literature James Crenshaw; 8. The Gospels Jeannine K. Brown; 9. Paul's Letters Todd D. Still; 10. Apocalyptic literature Meghan Henning; 11. Shakespeare's King Lear and the Bible William J. Kennedy; 12. The Bible and John Milton's Paradise Lost Gordon Teskey; 13. The Bible, Shelley, and English Romanticism Jonathan Fortier; 14. Herman Melville and the Bible Ruth Blair; 15. The Song of Songs and two biblical readings Emily O. Gravett; Index