Michael Coogan has offered in this volume a translation of four of the stories from Ras Shamra, ancient Ugarit. These he calls Aqhat, The Healers, Kirta, and Baal. Each is preceded by a introduction. So for example, the introduction to The Healers notes that it may be a sequel to the story of Aqhat.

For a comprehensive study these and other religious texts found at Ras Shamra, see _Religious Texts from Ugarit_ by Nicolas Wyatt.

While this book has an incredible amount of information in it, the writing style makes it pretty slow and difficult reading. The fact that each chapter is written by a different author means there's a lot of overlap between chapters, especially in the introductory part of each chapter. (I assume they did this so each chapter could be read independently.) Also, the language is strickly academic: always use the most technical term, never use one word when four or five can be used.

A very valuable resource, but not meant to be read from cover to cover as I tried to do.

As a student of Syro-Palestinian Archaeology, this book has become one of my most used reference. Each chapter is written by archaeologists and biblical historians that are renowned for their work. It covers the Biblical lands from their early beginnings, into the Bronze and Iron Ages, and ends with the Roman Period. The most attention is paid to the Hebrew Bible sections, specifically Bronze and Iron Age. I found the references to Philistines, and ancient Israelite women particularly helpful in my research.

As a textbook on introductory biblical studies or as a personal resource, this volume is a winner. With its maps, diagrams, photographs and insightful writing, this volume is indispensable for those who want to understand where biblical-historical research is going these days. The Bible did not develop in a vacuum, and this fine volume will offer the necessary insights for understanding those forces and situations that shaped the Jewish and Christian scriptures. The chronological appendix is especially helpful as it divides the cited historical developments into multiple regions. More than a dozen experts combined their insights to produce this volume and it is perfectly suited as an introductory or mid-level college text.