This volume is concerned with the formation of the books of the Old Testament and Apocrypha in the context of the ancient Near Eastern World.The Making of the Old Testament is one of three books accompanying the volumes of commentary in the Old Testament and Apocrypha series of Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the New English Bible.The Making of the Old Testament is one of three books accompanying the volumes of commentary in the Old Testament and Apocrypha series of Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the New English Bible.The Making of the Old Testament is one of three books accompanying the volumes of commentary in the Old Testament and Apocrypha series of Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the New English Bible. This volume is concerned with the formation of the books of the Old Testament and Apocrypha in the context of the ancient Near Eastern World, and with the ways in which these books have come down to us through the Jewish and Christian communities. Individual chapters discuss other literary documents contemporary with events in the Old Testament; the style of and critical approaches to the Old Testament books; other Jewish writing (Apocrypha and pseudepigrapha); the development of the Old Testament canon; the development of the modern English text from the various earlier versions; and the place of the Old Testament in modern Judaism and Christianity. Each of the chapters is followed by suggestions for further reading.1. The Literatures of the Ancient Near East Enid B. Mellor; 2. The Poetry and Prose of the Old Testament Enid B. Mellor; 3. Other writings of the Jewish community Margaret Barker; 4. What books belong to the Old Testament? Enid B. Mellor; 5. From the Ancient languages to the New English Bible A. A. Macintosh; 6. The Old Testament for Jews and Christians today Enid B. Mellor.