Research into the history of daily Hebrew prayers may justifiably be said to warrant total scholarly attention or none at all. With a presence in each period of Jewish history, a relationship with almost every area of scientific as well as traditional Hebrew and Jewish studies, and a relevance to the wider analysis of religion and religions, it may be argued that the liturgy of the Jews, in its various forms, deserves the closest scrutiny on the part of students of all these disciplines. On the other hand, it is easily understood why the very comprehensive nature of the subject might lead to its neglect as an independent topic. Given that it occurs within so many areas of research, it is a simple matter to restrict it to such contexts and deny it any specific, critical treatment. This latter policy is clearly not one that commends itself to the author of this book but it may not be obvious how a need for the present study has emerged in recent years, in which ways it relates to other overall examinations of the subject, and what ground it expects to cover. It is to be hoped that as the reader becomes acquainted with the volume such matters will become clear. In the mean time the purpose of this introductory chapter is to set the tone for the remainder of the book by referring briefly to major developments in the Jewish liturgical research of the modern and contemporary periods and by offering a summary of the methodology and theory that underlie the eight chapters that follow it.