The Bible is the cornerstone of both Hebrew and Western culture. As its name (from the Greek word biblia, “books”) suggests, it is not a single piece but rather an anthology of writings of different types that were composed along many generations and in different historical contexts. The first part of the Introduction (“The Literature and its Genres”) presents the variety of works and genres that were integrated into the biblical collection—early and late historiography, the laws and narratives of the Pentateuch, prophetic writings, psalmic poetry and wisdom literature—and sets them against the background of the variety of literary forms, social contexts, and historical developments that emerged in the ancient Near East.