This book contains background information and suggested discussion questions and classroom activities for the teaching of the Old Testament as literature in junior and senior high school English classes. This approach to biblical scholarship attempts to represent the general consensus of those Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish scholars who attempt to understand the development of biblical religion and history within the context of its Near Eastern background. Part one discusses the historical background of the Old Testament while part two provides analyses of the literature of the Old Testament. The notes on each narrative are designed to help the teacher illuminate the biblical text, and the discussion questions are suggestions designed to provoke the students' interest, not to stress a particular religious interpretation. An annotated bibliography of books on the Bible of interest to teachers of English is included. (DI)