SBS International

Historical Background:

• Archaeology and the Old Testament by Alfred J. Hoerth [Baker Academic - July 1, 1998]
  • Lots of illustrations bring alive sites in the Old Testament.
• Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction by James L. Crenshaw [Westminster John Knox Press; Rev Sub edition - November 1998]
  • Through and well organized. Especially helpful when time is limited.
• Persia and the Bible by Edwin M. Yamauchi [Baker Academic; 1st Paperback Ed edition - February 1, 1997]
  • A valuable tool for researching Persian history and culture in light of the Bible.
• The Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East by American Schools of Oriental Research and Eric M. Meyers [Oxford Univ Pr (Txt) - December 1996]
  • For the serious student. A comprehensive look at the study of archaeology in a five volume work.
• Old Testament Parallels: Laws And Stories from the Ancient Near East by Victor H. Matthews and Don C. Benjamin [Paulist Press; 3 Rev Exp edition - January 2, 2007]
  • A collection of Middle Eastern texts.
• The Ancient Near East (Volume I): A New Anthology of Texts and Pictures by James Bennett Pritchard [Calif Princeton Fulfilment -1973]
  • Contains information on the anthology of the ancient near east.
• The Ancient Near East (Volume II): A New Anthology of Texts and Pictures by James Bennett Pritchard [Princeton University Press - February 1, 1976]
  • A study of the ancient near east from the Bronze and Iron Ages.
• An Introduction to the Old Testament by Tremper Longman and Raymond D. Dillard [Zondervan Publishing Company; 2 edition - December 2006]
  • Looks at historical background, literary analysis, and theological message.
• Old Testament Times: A Social, Political, and Cultural Context by R. K. Harrison [Baker Books - August 1, 2005]
  • Explores people and events of the Old Testament. Includes maps, charts, photographs and illustrations.
• A Survey of Israel's History by Leon J. Wood [Zondervan; Rev Sub edition - October 11, 1986]
  • Looks at the history of God's chosen people. Map, charts and diagrams included.
• Peoples of the Old Testament World by Alfred J. Hoerth, Gerald L. Mattingly, and Edwin M. Yamauchi [Baker Academic - August 1, 1998]
  • Insightful looks at the people groups surrounding and influencing Israel.
• Bible History Old Testament: New Updated Edition by Alfred Edersheim [Hendrickson Publishers; Updated edition - April 1, 1995]
  • Edersheim's familiarity with Judaism and love of the Word can be seen in this book.
• Exploring Machines, Buildings and Weaponry of Biblical Times by Max Schwartz [Thomas Nelson - February 5, 2004]
  • Find answers to the questions on the different things used for building, weapons, etc.

Charts and Maps:

• Chronological and Background Charts of the Old Testament by John H. Walton [Zondervan; Revised edition - October 30, 1994]
  • One hundred charts covering archaeological, historical, literary, and theological points.

Hard Sayings:

• Hard Sayings of the Old Testament by Walter C. Kaiser Jr. [InterVarsity Press - June 1988]
  • Sheds some light on those difficult sayings.
• More Hard Sayings of the Old Testament by Walter C. Kaiser Jr. [Intervarsity Press - January 1992]

Dictionaries, References:

• The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament by Warren Baker and Gene Carpenter [AMG Publishers - October 2003]
  • Simple and concise.
• Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series) by David W. Baker and T. Desmond Alexander [InterVarsity Press - January 2003]
  • Overviews and insights into the Old Testament times of the Pentateuch
• Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series) by Bill T. Arnold and H. G. M. Williamson [InterVarsity Press - December 2005]
  • A thorough look at background for the historical books.

Miscellaneous:

• The Heart of the Old Testament: A Survey of Key Theological Themes by Ronald Youngblood [Baker Academic; 2nd edition - September 1, 1998]
  • Links Old and New Testaments through nine key strands.

Prophetic, Apocalyptic:

• Plowshares & Pruning Hooks: Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic by D. Brent Sandy and Brent D. Sandy [InterVarsity Press - November 2002]
  • Help understand the imagery and language of the prophetic.
• Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy by J. Barton Payne [Baker Book House - June 1980]
  • Covers over 1800 Biblical predictions and has discussions of the over 8000 predictive verses.
• Offerings, Sacrifices and Worship in the Old Testament by John Henry Kurtz [Hendrickson Publishers - October 1, 1998]
  • A comprehensive look at the Old Testament rituals and worship.
• A Guide to Biblical Prophecy by Ward W. Gasque and Carl E. Amerding [Wipf & Stock Publishers - July 2001]

Tabernacle, Priests, Sacrifices:

• The Tabernacle of Israel: Its Structure and Symbolism by James Strong [Kregel Classics; 2 edition - September 3, 2003]
  • Explore the structure and symbolism of the tabernacle.
• Tabernacle and Its Priests and Services by William Brown [Kessinger Publishing - June 2003]
  • Study of the tabernacle. Illustrations help you visualize the tabernacle and priests.
• From Sinai to Jerusalem by Leen Ritmeyer and Kathleen Ritmeyer
  
  • Drawings, photographs and maps help construct the possible journeys of the Ark.