This popular 19th-century Bible study book has become a classic for Roman Catholics. It was originally composed by bishop Friedrich Justus Knecht (1839-1921). The book had 16 editions and was initially recommended by 14 bishops when first published. The tone is more instructional focusing on the history and culture of the stories in the Bible and offering a moral commentary lesson at the end. This first volume focuses on the Old Testament, offering lessons and commentary on a selection of the most famous stories from Genesis through the Maccabean revolt. The source text for this work is: "A Practical Commentary on Holy Scripture for the use of those who teach Bible history, London, B. Herder, 1910," by Friedrich Justus Knecht (1839-1921) and Rev. Michael Francis Glancey (1854 - 1925). This text has been augmented with artwork of the Biblical stories mentioned in the commentary.