This is a page with links to downloadable handouts, and suggested resources to supplement my podcast and classes on the Old Testament.
Handouts
Click links to download .pdf files:
Chart: Old Testament Chronology
Map: The Ancient Near East
Chart: The Documentary Hypothesis
A Word on Bible Translations:
At the introductory level, the Bible translation you use is not as crucial as it is for more detailed study. With that in mind, here are my recommendations:
New Revised Standard Version
This is the go-to translation for most biblical scholarship, particularly in academic settings. Strikes a good balance between linguistic accuracy and textual interpretation. Available everywhere.
Jewish Publication Society Translation
A modern translation by a group of outstanding Jewish scholars. Reads well, good, clear translation. Oxford publishes The Jewish Study Bible based on this translation that includes a goldmine of annotations and study guides. I highly recommend that particular edition for serious students.
The King James Version
There are many editions of this classic translation since it appeared in 1611. The KJV is a highly literal translation, which can be good or bad. It was first created at a time when far less was known about Biblical Hebrew than we know now, but the rendering is, frankly, magnificent. Even when they get the translation totally wrong, it can move you. Easy to find copies in thrift shops, the Dollar Store, or most Gideon Bibles.
The Jerusalem Bible
Catholic translation undertaken by a group of French Dominican scholars, published in 1956 in response to the Papal decision in 1943 that Catholics should translate the Bible from Greek and Hebrew texts rather than the Latin Vulgate. This translation includes the deuterocanonical books (“the Apocrypha”) and is noted for its literary qualities.
English Standard Version
An Evangelical translation first published in 2001. Generally very readable, it was intended to be more literal than other translations. It has been criticized for inconsistent use of gender-neutral language (which is frequently more accurate linguistically, it turns out). Despite these criticisms, this translation is becoming more popular in both Catholic and Protestant settings.
New International Version
This is one version I tend not to recommend, mainly because in many places the translation subordinates itself to certain theological points of view that the text does not support.
These are, obviously, not all of the translations out there.
Introductions to the Old Testament
Reading the Old Testament, An Introduction
My personal favorite for someone coming to this subject for the first time is this book by Lawrence Boadt. Besides laying out the general terrain of modern biblical scholarship, Boadt does a fine job of describing the extra-biblical evidence scholars have turned to in their research. Second edition, 2012.
Jacob and the Angel. Modern Readers and the Old Testament
Edited by your Humble Correspondent among others, this collection of essays was commissioned from some of the top Old Testament scholars out there by our editorial team. Their assignment was to write about their particular areas of expertise in a way that was accessible to the general reader.
How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now
Written by Harvard professor James Kugel, this is a wonderful exploration of the story and results of modern biblical scholarship. Well-written and filled with striking insights. This book assumes a bit more background on the part of the reader, but makes an outstanding follow-up to Boadt’s book.