Thirteen scholars explore possible points of connection between the Bible and its ancient Near Eastern context, illuminating the methadologies, contributions, and limitations of both biblical studies and Assyriology. Contents include: "Assyriology and Biblical Studies: A Century of Tension" --Mark W. Chavalas "The Quest for Sargon, Pul, and Tiglath-Pileser in the Nineteenth Century"--Steven W. Holloway "Sumer, the Bible, and Comparative Method: Historiography and Temple Building"--Richard E. Avergeck "Syria and Northern Mesopotamia to the End of the Third MIllennium B.C.E."--Mark W. Chavalas "Syro-Mesopotamia:The Old Babylonian Period"--Ronald A. Veenker "Syria to the Early Second Millennium"---Victor H. Matthews "Apprehending Kidnapers by Correspondence at Provincial Arrapha"--David C. Deuel "The Bible and Alalakh"--Richard S. Hess "Emar: On the Road from Harran to Hebron"--Daniel E. Fleming "Voices from the Dust: The Tablets from Ugarit and the Bible"--Wayne T. Pitard "The Rise of the Aramean States"--William Schniedewind "Recent Study on Sargon II, King of Assyria: Implications for Biblical Studies"--K. Lawson Younger Jr. "What Has Nebuchadnezzar to Do with David? On the Neo-Babylonian Period and Early Israel"--Bill T. Arnold "The Eastern Jewish Diaspora under the Babylonians"--Edwin Yamauchi