The exploration of the sacred scriptures has made significant progress over the past four decades, raising new questions, challenging previously accepted views, and eliminating uncertainties. This volume presents the current state of knowledge in the relevant academic fields through the lens of religious studies, allowing even those outside the field to gain an impression of the wealth of new insights into the sacred texts. Renowned researchers explain the origins, authors, structure, literary characteristics, hermeneutical questions, and audiences of the sacred texts, as well as how these texts are engaged with. This leads to the question of what authority and significance the respective sacred scripture holds for the believers of that religion. The volume provides a reliable orientation on the Old and.