Book excerpt: The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch' is the first in a four-volume series covering the text of the Old Testament. Following in the tradition of the four award-winning IVP dictionaries focused on the New Testament and its background, this encyclopedic work is characterized by close attention to the text of the Old Testament and the ongoing conversation of contemporary scholarship. In exploring the major themes and issues of the Pentateuch, it informs and challenges its readers with authoritative overviews, detailed examinations and new insights from the world of the ancient Near East. The 'Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch' is designed to be your first stop in the study and research of the Pentateuch, on which the rest of the Bible is built.