"I Samuel" is Volume 8 in the Anchor Bible series of new, book-by book translations of the Old and New Testaments and Apocrypha. In his series debut, P. Kyle McCarter, Jr., has written a volume of interest and value to both the scholar and the general reader. McCarter's treatment of "I Samuel" consists of: "Introduction": review of the literary problems and historical circumstances surrounding the writing of the book. "Translation": fresh and authoratative, this new translation of "I Samuel" fully utilizes for the first time ancient manuscript fragments found at Qumran. "Textual Notes": for the scholar, technical information on the texts used in the translation. "Notes": for the untrained reader, descriptions of people, places, customs, and unusual features of the language. "Commentary": an explanatory summary of each passage of translation. "Maps": illustrating the book's dramatic events. "From the Hardcover edition."