ABSTRACT
The list here is limited almost exclusively to introductions, categorized into small to mid-range introductions (generally under 300 pages), large-scale introductions (usually over 300 pages and/or marked by extensive coverage of preexisting scholarly literature), and state-of-the-question overviews of the field. The latter are typically edited collections comprised of essays on various sections or books of the Hebrew Bible and/or topics relating to the Old Testament that are composed by different authors. I have arranged this category in chronological order so that one can trace the development of the field. I have also appended a short list of useful reference works. In each category, the sampling provided is truly small (especially as I have limited the list with but one exception to English language publications), selecting works that I have personal familiarity with, that I deem particularly helpful in one way or another, and that may be profitably consulted for future study. Of course, new publications appear almost every day. There is also much that is available on the web, though online material sometimes lacks the careful vetting that continues to mark publication with established presses. The most important book to read next, however, before any other, is the Old Testament itself!
