Beginning with Alexander the Great and running through the beginning of the Common Era, the book is organized roughly chronologically and by theme. Chapters treat in some detail such important issues as the Septuagint, the Jewish communities in the Diaspora, Aramaic literature, Jewish religious practices, the economy of Palestine during the period, the development of priestly and scribal classes, etc.

Bickerman's prose is elegant and readable without sacrificing detail, and a substantial bibliography organized by subject provides a great starting point for further research into specific questions. You'll want to read this in connection with any study of the Deuterocanonical books, the Pseudepigrapha or the Dead Sea Scrolls, or even as a useful bridge between study of the Old Testament and the New.