The fundamental strengths of the first HCSB remain: up-to-date introductions to the biblical books, based on the latest critical scholarship, by leading experts in the field; concise notes, clearly explaining names, dates, places, obscure terms, and other difficulties in reading the biblical text; careful analysis of the structure of biblical books; abundant maps, tables, and charts to enable the reader to understand the context of the Bible, and to see the relationship among its parts. But, in this new revised edition, every introduction, essay, map, illustration and explanatory note has been reviewed and updated, and new material added. For instance, there are newly commissioned introductory essays on the archaeology of ancient Israel and the New Testament world, the religion of ancient Israel, the social and historical context of each book of the Bible, and on biblical interpretation. There are completely new introductions and notes for many of the books in the Bible, plus a full revision and updating of all others. Of special interest are the literary history of the Pentateuch (those books between the Old and New Testament that Catholics include in their Bible); more references to ancient non-biblical sources which seem to parallel books in the Bible like the Gnostic gospels uncovered in Egypt or the famous scrolls found near the Dead Sea in Israel, and more comprehensive attention to the interrelationship of Old and New Testaments.