This monograph is a revised version of Part II of my doctoral dissertation submitted to the University of Cambridge in 1975. During the writing of it I have been aware of my indebtedness to many teachers and friends for their insights and, not least, their questions. I should like to record my thanks in particular to the following: to Dr R. E. Clements (who supervised my research and, as Editor, accepted this work for the Monograph Series), Dr S. P. Brock and Dr C. J. Labuschagne, all of whom read the original manuscript and made many helpful suggestions; to Professor J. A. Emerton, whose rigorous handling of exegetical and other problems has been a source of inspiration throughout my work; to Dr P. S. Alexander and Dr Z. Meshel, who advised me on particular points; to the Society for Old Testament Study and the Managers of the Hort Fund of the University of Cambridge, for generous contributions to the cost of publication; and to the staff of the Cambridge University Press, for their exceptionally careful and courteous handling of the process of production.

The transcription of place-names is a familiar problem to workers in this field, and I have adopted the following policy here. Where there is a well-known English form, as with Biblical names, I have used this; where there is not, I have reproduced the name in an Anglicised form which keeps as close as possible to the original, without, generally, employing the diacritical marks that would be needed for absolute precision.