Dr Clements' volume, like others in the series, contains the text in the New English Bible translation, divided into sections, with introductory material preceding, and a commentary directly following each section of the text. Dr Clements discusses the content and historical background of the book, and the theories about the authorship of Exodus, identifying briefly the four main sources. Although the content of Exodus is largely devoted to the narrative of the escape of the Israelites from Egypt, Dr Clements treats the book as a truly religious work, in which history and faith are inseparably woven together.
Encapsulating as it does research that has been undertaken on the sociological, anthropological and political aspects of the history of ancient Israel, this important book is designed to follow in the tradition of works in the series sponsored by The Society for Old Testament Study which began with the publication of The People and the Book in 1925. The World of Ancient Israel is especially concerned to explore in greater depth than comparable studies the areas and degrees of overlap between approaches to the subject of Old Testament research adopted by scholars and students of theology and the social sciences. Increasing numbers of scholars have recognised the valuable insights that can be gained from a cross-disciplinary approach, and it is becoming clear that the early biblical traditions about the formation of the Israelite state must be examined in the light of comparative anthropology if useful historical conclusions are to be drawn from them.
