This is a comprehensive, fully illustrated survey of the world from which the Bible emerged -- its geopolitics, symbolic universes, and fascinating social and political organization. Stretching from prehistoric times to the rise of Islam, and from Mesopotamia to Rome, the book focuses primarily on biblical Israel and early Judaism and Christianity. Written by leading scholars, it discusses not only the political and military history and key events and personalities of successive eras but also their art, architecture, languages, political and legal systems, literature, and religion, incorporating the latest archaeological discoveries and state-of-the-art methodologies from historiography, biblical studies, sociology, and anthropology. Hundreds of colour and black-and-white photographs, line drawings, and maps of artefacts, reconstructions, and geographical locations help bring alive the cultures of the Near East and Greco-Roman world.