A Biblical Theology Bibliography
Naked Bible 017: Taking the Bible’s Own Context Seriously | The Naked Bible Podcast
Guides to the Literature of the Biblical Context and Worldview:
Old Testament (informed by the Literature of the Ancient Near East)
John Walton, Ancient Israelite Literature in its Cultural Context
Victor Matthews, Old Testament Parallels: Laws And Stories from the Ancient Near East
Kenton Sparks, Ancient Texts for the Study of the Hebrew Bible: A Guide to the Background Literature
New Testament (informed by the literature of Second Temple / “Intertestamental” Judaism)
Larry Helyer, Exploring Jewish Literature of the Second Temple Period: A Guide for New Testament Students (Christian Classics Bible Studies)
Craig Evans, Ancient Texts for New Testament Studies: A Guide to the Background Literature
D. deSilva, Introducing the Apocrypha: Message, Context, and Significance
Ancient Texts in English Translation: Ancient Near East
Books: General Collections
The Context of Scripture (COS); 3 volumes
digital version
Ancient Near Eastern Texts (ANET) by Pritchard (one volume hardcover; split into two volumes paperback; vol. 1 and vol. 2)
digital version
Writings from the Ancient World set (amazon link to volumes in the series)
digital version
Egyptian Literature:
Miriam Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature (3 vols)
digital version
Foster, Ancient Egyptian Literature
The Literature of Ancient Egypt: An Anthology of Stories, Instructions, Stelae, Autobiographies, and Poetry; Third Edition by Professor William Kelley Simpson, Professor Robert K. Ritner, The Reverent Dr. Vincent A. Tobin and Professor Edward Wente Jr.
- Moran, The Amarna Letters
digital version
Mesopotamia (Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian)
Foster, Before the Muses: An Anthology of Akkadian Literature
Foster, From Distant Days: Myths, Tales, and Poetry of Ancient Mesopotamia
Dalley, Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood, Gilgamesh, and Others
Jacobsen, The Harps that Once … Sumerian Poetry in Translation
Ugaritic Texts:
- Wyatt, Religious Texts from Ugarit
digital version
Gibson, Canaanite Myths and Legends
digital version
- Coogan and M. Smith, Stories from Ancient Canaan
Websites
ETANA (Electronic Tools Ancient Near East Archives)
Ancient Texts in English Translation: Second Temple Period of Judaism (5th century BC – 1st century AD)
Books:
Old Testament Apocrypha
King James Version of the Apocrypha
digital version
The New Oxford Annotated Apocrypha: New Revised Standard Version
digital version
R.H. Charles’ edition: The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament: Apocrypha
digital version (Logos has Charles’ Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha in one set)
New Testament Apocrypha (less relevant, as these come from after the apostolic period):
one-volume edition of M. R. James: The New Testament Apocrypha
two-volume scholarly compendium by Schneemelcher
New Testament Apocrypha, Vol. 1: Gospels and Related Writings Revised Edition
New Testament Apocrypha, Vol. 2: Writings Relating to the Apostles Apocalypses and Related Subjects
Old Testament Pseudepigrapha
- H. Charles’ edition: The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, Pseudepigrapha
digital version (Logos has Charles’ Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha in one set)
James H. Charleworth’s two-volume edition (with introductions to each book): The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha ( 2 Volume set)
digital version
Dead Sea Scrolls (non-biblical texts)
Wise, Abegg, & Cook: The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation
digital version
Geza Vermes: The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English (Penguin Classics)
Garcia-Martinez: The Dead Sea Scrolls Translated: The Qumran Texts in English
digital version (English translations are included in the two volume Dead Sea Scrolls Study Edition, which also has the Hebrew texts)
Dead Sea Scrolls (the biblical scrolls in the Hebrew Bible, in English translation)
Abegg, Ulrich, Flint: The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible: The Oldest Known Bible Translated for the First Time into English
digital version
Josephus
Whiston edition: The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition
digital version
Paul Maier: The New Complete Works of Josephus
Philo
Yonge, updated by Scholer: The Works of Philo
digital version
Websites (free material, but dated translations from old, public domain sources)
Old Testament Apocrypha
Sacred Texts Archive
Biblos / Apocrypha.org
Pseudepigrapha.com (includes links to OT Apocrypha)
Old Testament Pseudepigrapha
Sacred Texts archive (labels the Pseudepigrapha “other apocrypha”)
Pseudepigrapha.com
New Testament Apocrypha
Philo
Josephus
Books and Reference Works on Ancient Near Eastern Texts and Worldview
Most Recommended Reference Works for OT Study in Ancient Near Eastern Context
Sasson (ed.), Civilizations of the Ancient Near East/4 Volumes Bound in 2 Books (v. 1 & 2)
Baker (ed.), Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)
digital version
Williamson (ed.), Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)
digital version
Enns (ed.), Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)
Boda (ed.), Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets (IVP Bible Dictionary)
van der Toorn, Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, Second Edition
digital version
Monographs
Ancient Near East
History and Culture:
Hoerth, Mattingly, Yamauchi (eds), Peoples of the Old Testament World
White, Everyday Life in Ancient Egypt
von Soden, The Ancient Orient: An Introduction to the Study of the Ancient Near East
Bertman, Handbook to Life in Ancient Mesopotamia
Mertz, Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt
Van de Mieroop, A History of Ancient Egypt (Blackwell History of the Ancient World)
Van de Mieroop, A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000 – 323 BC [Blackwell History of the Ancient World Ser.]
Ancient Mesopotamian Religion (Sumer, Assyria, Babylon):
Schneider, An Introduction to Ancient Mesopotamian Religion (History of Religion)
Bottero, Religion in Ancient Mesopotamia
Jacobsen, The Treasures of Darkness: A History of Mesopotamian Religion
Black, Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia: An Illustrated Dictionary
Ancient Egyptian Religion:
Pinch, Egyptian Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Goddesses, and Traditions of Ancient Egypt
Pinch, Egyptian Myth: A Very Short Introduction
Teeter, Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt
Assmann, The Search for God in Ancient Egypt
Old Testament Israel:
The Old Testament Worldview in Ancient Near Eastern Context (General):
digital version
Walton, The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate
Israelite Religion:
Miller, The Religion of Ancient Israel (Library of Ancient Israel)
Smith, The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel (Biblical Resource Series)
digital version
Hess, Israelite Religions: An Archaeological and Biblical Survey
digital version
Mettinger, In Search of God: The Meaning and Message of the Everlasting Names
Culture and Life in Ancient Israel:
Wells, Everyday Law in Biblical Israel: An Introduction
de Vaux, Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions (Biblical Resource)
Dever, The Lives of Ordinary People in Ancient Israel: When Archaeology and the Bible Intersect
Ebeling, Women’s Lives in Biblical Times
Carey Griffel
Carey Griffel has a Masters of Biblical Studies with Redemption Seminary and is passionate about teaching about the Bible from a biblical theology perspective with a healthy dose of creative thinking thrown in to the mix.
Carey can be found on Instagram and Facebook. She has her own Facebook discussion group for her podcast and is an administrator and moderator of several other FB groups, such as Reading Genesis 50 Times and Divine Council Worldview, official group of Dr. Michael Heiser.
Stopwatches and Scripture: Defending a Literal 6 Days
