The book has two main parts: Wolfgang Oswald, a professor of the Old Testament at the University of Tübingen, begins his account with the emergence of kingship in Israel and presents the tumultuous history of the land up to the end of the Persian Empire. Michael Tilly, head of the Institute for Ancient Judaism and Hellenistic Religious History in Tübingen, picks up with the developments during the time of Alexander the Great and his successors, unfolding the further history of Israel up to the emergence of rabbinic Judaism in the 3rd century AD. Based on biblical texts, archaeological findings, inscriptions, and numerous other sources, the two authors create a thorough yet clearly structured panorama of ancient Israel, with a particular focus on the political developments in the region. Includes timelines and a detailed bibliography.