This volume brings together extracts from and introductions to twelve writings dealing with prominent Old Testament figures. They tell what happened to them, what God revealed to them and through them, and try to bring home to their readers what can be learned from their examples and their explicit exhortations. Often there is also an outlook on the future intended to comfort and to encourage the readers in the difficult circumstances they have to endure.

These writings all belong to the so-called ‘Pseudepigrapha’ of the Old Testament – a term used (rather loosely) ‘to cover writings connected with biblical books, personalities or themes, which failed to be included in any canon, even among the Apocrypha’ – so A. R. C. Leaney in The Jewish and Christian World 200 BC to AD 200, p. 158, in this series, who also gives an extensive list of writings which may be ranged under this category.

This volume, like the others in this series, is modest in scope. The extracts from the selected writings have been chosen and introduced by authors who have dealt with them also in other contexts, often in much detail. The editor is very grateful to them for consenting to share their specialist knowledge. Obviously many details have had to be omitted and divergent opinions and supporting arguments of other specialists in the field could only very seldom be mentioned.