Bibliography

Dr. Heiser at times refers listeners to books, articles, and other resources. They are listed below, by episode.

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Episode 017: Taking the Context of the Bible Seriously (series on Bible Study Advice, Tools, and Techniques)

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

Episode 018: Taking the Context of the Bible Seriously (series on Bible Study Advice, Tools, and Techniques)

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.

W. 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:

N. Wyatt, Religious Texts from Ugarit

digital version

Gibson, Canaanite Myths and Legends

digital version

M. Coogan and M. Smith, Stories from Ancient Canaan

Websites

ETANA (Electronic Tools Ancient Near East Archives)

Internet Sacred Texts Archive

Internet Archive

Episode 019: Taking the Context of the Bible Seriously (series on Bible Study Advice, Tools, and Techniques)

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

R. 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

Non-Canonical Homepage

Biblos / Apocrypha.org

Pseudepigrapha.com (includes links to OT Apocrypha)

Old Testament Pseudepigrapha

Sacred Texts archive (labels the Pseudepigrapha “other apocrypha”)

Pseudepigrapha.com

Non-canonical Homepage

New Testament Apocrypha

Early Christian Writings

Philo

Early Jewish Writings

Josephus

Early Jewish Writings

Episode 020: Taking the Context of the Bible Seriously (series on Bible Study Advice, Tools, and Techniques)

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):

Walton, Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible

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

Episode 021: Taking the Context of the Bible Seriously (series on Bible Study Advice, Tools, and Techniques)

Books and Reference Works on Second Temple Texts and Worldview

Most Recommended Reference Works for NT Study in the Context of both the Old Testament and Second Temple Judaism

Green, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)

digital version

Hawthorne (ed.), Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)

digital version

Laansma (ed.), Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)

digital version

Evans (ed.), Dictionary of New Testament Background (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)

digital version

van der Toorn, Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, Second Edition

digital version

Levine (ed.), The Jewish Annotated New Testament

Simmons, Peoples of the New Testament World: An Illustrated Guide

Monographs

General Works on Second Temple Context

O. Skarsaune, Jewish Believers in Jesus: The Early Centuries

O. Skarsaune, In the Shadow of the Temple: Jewish Influences on Early Christianity

digital version

D. Flusser, Judaism of the Second Temple Period: Volume 1, Qumran and Apocalypticism

digital version

D. Flusser, Judaism of the Second Temple Period: Sages and Literature, vol. 2

C. Evans, The World of Jesus and the Early Church: Identity and Interpretation in Early Communities of Faith

Interpretation of Scripture in New Testament Times

Watson, A History of Biblical Interpretation, Volume 1: The Ancient Period (History of Biblical Interpretation Series)

Beale, Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament: Exegesis and Interpretation

Moyise, Jesus and Scripture: Studying the New Testament Use of the Old Testament

digital version

Moyise, Paul and Scripture: Studying the New Testament Use of the Old Testament

Moyise, Later New Testament Writings and Scripture, The: The Old Testament in Acts, Hebrews, the Catholic Epistles and Revelation

Greco-Roman / Hellenistic Context

Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity

Jeffers, The Greco-Roman World of the New Testament Era: Exploring the Background of Early Christianity

D. deSilva, Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture

digital version

History of the Second Temple Period

Grabbe, An Introduction to Second Temple Judaism: History and Religion of the Jews in the Time of Nehemiah, the Maccabees, Hillel, and Jesus

Schiffman, From Text to Tradition, A History of Second Temple and Rabbinic Judaism

Sacchi, The History of the Second Temple Period (Academic Paperback)

Dead Sea Scrolls & Christianity

P. Flint and J. VanderKam, The Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Their Significance For Understanding the Bible, Judaism, Jesus, and Christianity

digital version

C. Evans, Christian Beginnings and the Dead Sea Scrolls (Acadia Studies in Bible and Theology)

digital version

J. Fitzmyer, The Dead Sea Scrolls and Christian Origins (Studies in the Dead Sea Scrolls & Related Literature)

digital version

J. Collins, Religion in the Dead Sea Scrolls

digital version

J. Collins, The Scepter and the Star: Messianism in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls

C. Evans, Eschatology, Messianism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls (Studies in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Literature, V. 1) (Studies in the Dead Sea Scrolls & Related Literature)

digital version

Pseudepigrapha, Apocrypha, and the New Testament

Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha & the New Testament

deSilva, The Jewish Teachers of Jesus, James, and Jude: What Earliest Christianity Learned from the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha

Contextualized New Testament Theology

N. T. Wright, The New Testament and the People of God Volume 1 (Christian Origins and the Question of God)

N. T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, Volume 2)

N. T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, Vol. 3)

all three in digital version

Yinger, The New Perspective on Paul

Episode 022: Studying the Bible: Introducing Genres: Reading Bible Stories Like Fiction

Shimeon bar-Efrat, Narrative Art in the Bible [Understanding the Bible and Its World

Episode 024: The Bible’s Literary Context: The Genre of Historical-Military Annals-Inscriptions

David L. Fouts, “A Defense of the Hyperbolic Interpretation of Large Numbers in the Old Testament,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 40 (1997): 377-387

Episode 025: The Bible’s Literary Context: The Greco-Roman Genre of Ghost Stories and Post-Mortem Appearances and Gospel Material About Jesus

Jason Robert Combs, “A Ghost on the Water? Understanding an Absurdity in Mark 6:49–50,” JBL 127:2 (2008): 345-358

Deborah Thompson Prince, “The ‘Ghost’ of Jesus: Luke 24 in Light of Ancient Narratives of Post-Mortem Apparitions,” JSNT 29:3 (2007): 287-301

Episode 028: The Bible in Its Literary Context: The Comedic Genre and the New Testament

The book referenced by Dr. Sam Lamerson in his interview with Mike was Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale, by Frederick Buechner.

Episode 029: The Bible in Its Literary Context: The Genres of Prophecy and Apocalyptic

Episode 032: Studying the Original Languages of the Bible: Word Study Techniques, Part 1

Greek-English Lexicons cited in the episode:

BDAG

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd Edition

older edition of the above (1979, now out-of-date, but useful):

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, Second Edition

Digital edition of BDAG

Liddell-Scott (abridged hard copy edition)

An Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon: Founded upon the Seventh Edition of Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon

Liddell-Scott in digital: full 9th edition

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