"The sequel and completion of ... [the author's] Introduction to the Old Testament."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 529-541).

1. Judaism from 200 B.C. to A.D. 200 -- Palestinian Judaism -- Political History: Hellenistic domination ; The Maccabean rebellion ; The rule of the Hasmoneans ; The rule of the Romans ; The war against the Romans -- Religious history -- Literary history -- Hellenistic Judaism -- Hellenism: Historical sketch ; General characteristics ; Hellenistic literature ; Hellenistic science ; Hellenistic scholarship ; Hellenistic philosophy ; Hellenistic religion -- The Jews in the land of their dispersion: The Jews in Mesopotamia ; The Jews at Elephantine ; The Alexandrian Jews ; Small Jewish settlements ; Hellenistic Judaism -- Alexandrian-Jewish literature: Historical writings ; Epic and dramatic ; poetry ; Philosophy ; Jewish propaganda works attributed to Gentiles -- The books of the apocrypha -- I Esdras: Relation to Chronicles-Nehemiah ; I Esdras and the Hebrew-Aramaic text ; I Esdras and the "LXX" ; The story of the three youths -- The book of Tobit: Literary problems ; Religious and ethical teaching -- The book of Judith: Historicity and date ; Literary characteristics ; Religious teaching -- The rest of the chapters of the book of Esther -- The wisdom of Solomon: Critical problems ; Original language ; Authorship ; Date and place of composition ; Greek philosophy in the book of wisdom ; Literary characteristics ; Religious teaching -- Ecclesiastics by Sirach: The author, Jesus ben Sira ; The teaching of the book ; Religion ; The law ; Wisdom ; Morals ; The style of ecclesiastics -- The book of Baruch: Unity of the book ; Authorship and date ; Religious teaching -- The epistle of Jeremy -- Additions to the book of Daniel: The Greek texts ; The song of the three holy children ; The history of Susanna ; Bel and the Dragon -- The prayer of Manasses -- I Maccabees: Comparison between I and II Maccabees ; Literary features of I Maccabees ; The Hebrew text ; Speeches, prayers, and documents ; The author ; The Greek text -- II. Maccabees: Jason of Cyrene ; The epitomist.

"Between these covers are actually two books: each of them uniquely alone in its field. The first half is a study of the world in which Christianity arose: Judaism from 200 B.C. to 200 A.D.; the second half an introduction to the Apocrypha. The author's scholarly reputation in both areas makes the publication of this book doubly significant."--Jacket.