Raymond Westbrook and Bruce Wells examine Old Testament legal materials that illustrate how ancient Israelites settled their grievances. This textbook is unique in exploring these legal materials as they relate to the issues of everyday life--family, property, contracts, and crimes--and providing readers with a broad understanding of their ancient legal and social foundations.

Raymond Westbrook was Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University, where he taught for twenty years. He was a world-renowned expert on biblical law in its ancient Near Eastern context, and wrote or edited several books.