This lecture course covers the period of three thousand years, from the oral tradition of the Old Testament to contemporary translations of the Bible into languages of Russia that have only recently acquired a written form. The course introduces the key issues of the historical and philological subject known as Biblical Studies. The Bible is considered as an integral theological work containing the concept of Salvation which has become fundamental in Christianity and Judaism. The history of peoples of the Middle East is entwined with the history of the Bible as a book, from a scroll to an e-text. Finally, special emphasis is laid on Bible criticism i.e. philological analysis of the text, its origin, development and context.