All in all, this book provides a good introduction to study of the history of Israel and will prepare beginners to go on to more substantial treatments of various parts or all of this history...it will serve as a useful classroom guide and will be extremely helpful as a text in the hands of a good teacher.
Dean of the College of Humanities and Public Affairs and Professor of Religious Studies at Missouri State University, Victor H. Matthews is a specialist in Hebrew Bible and the social world of the ancient Near East, and has published seventeen books and dozens of articles. Among his research interests are ancient Near Eastern legal traditions, social scientific criticism, and gender studies in the ancient world.