Eugene Merrill traces the history of Israel from the patriarchs through the exodus, conquest, judges, united and divided monarchies, exile and return, setting the biblical narrative alongside the archaeology and documentary evidence of the surrounding cultures. He writes as a conservative historian who takes the Old Testament's own account as a reliable source, and he argues his chronology - including an early date for the exodus - from the texts rather than around them.

Now in its second edition, this remains one of the best standard histories of Israel written from an evangelical standpoint, and it is used as a course textbook in a number of seminaries. Merrill shows a firm grasp of the events, places and people that make up Israel's history, and the book doubles as a reference for anyone preaching through the historical books and wanting the wider setting in view.