Jun
02
2006
As of a couple days ago, DH passed the ten-thousand visitor mark. Thanks to all of you who have visited and commented making this resource better! Be sure to check below for any posts you may have missed.
Statistics
Began: October 25, 2006
Stats: 10,118 Visitors; 22,346 Page Views (as of 6/1/06)
Number of Posts: 223
Number of Comments: 82
Best of Posts
- Origin and Order of Hebrew Alphabet
- Disorder of Hebrew Acrostics
- Gomorrah Revealed
- Divine Name
- Ten Commandments Misconceptions
- Luther on Hebrew
- Prepositional Scholarship 1, Part 2 & Part 3
- Suggested Books (Intro; Text Criticism; Backgrounds)
- Archeology Posts (Tel Dan Stele; Siloam Tunnel Inscription; ‘Izbet Sartah Ostracon; Tel Zayit Inscription; Gezar Calendar; )
- Logos Bible Software 3 (Presentation; Concept; Syntax Search; More Searches)
Mar
16
2006
Narrowing the field of wonderful resources to only one (or three) was quite difficult. Several categories, in particular Archeology and Culture, are lacking. I have attempted to strike a balance between usefulness and cost for the biblical studies novice (Please also remember that this list is not supposed to be exhaustive or definitive); nevertheless, feel free to make suggests and emendations in the Comments below!
-See the earlier posts in this series on Essential Bible Study Tools (How to Spend Your First $200) & OT Textual Criticism Tools (Text Criticism for <$150).
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Text & Translation
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$33
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M. J. Mulder ed., ::amazon(1565632559,Mikra: Text, Translation, Reading and Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity):: [on Canonicity see R. Beckwith, ::amazon(0802836178,The Old Testament Canon of the New Testament Church and Its Background in Early Judaism)::]
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Introduction/Survey
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$31
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W. S. LaSor, D. A. Hubbard, F. W. Bush, ::amazon(0802837883,Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament)::, 2nd ed. [also B. S. Childs, ::amazon(0800605322,Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture):: or R. K. Harrision, ::amazon(1565633997,Introduction to the Old Testament)::]
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History
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$22
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J. Bright, ::amazon(0664220681,A History of Israel)::, 4th ed.
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Dictionary
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($176 – 276)
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D. N. Freedman ed., ::amazon(038542583X,The Anchor Bible Dictionary)::, 6 vols. or G. W. Bromiley ed., ::amazon(0802837859,The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)::, 3 vols.
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Atlas
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$27
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B. J. Beitzel, ::amazon(0802404383,The Moody Atlas of Bible Lands):: or H. G. May, ::amazon(0191434515,Oxford Bible Atlas)::.
[also Z. Kallai, ::amazon(9652236314,Historical Geography of the Bible):: (Jerusalem-Leiden: Magnes Press, Brill, 1986)]
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Archeology
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$22
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A. Mazar, ::amazon(0385425902,Archeology of the Land of the Bible):: [also J. Avirum and E. Stern eds., ::amazon(0132762889,The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land):: or Meyers, Eric M., ed. ::amazon(0195065123,The Oxford Encyclopedia of Archaeology in the Near East)::, 5 vols.]
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Context in Pictures
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$38 – 130
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J. B. Pritchard ed., ::amazon(0691035024,Ancient Near East in Pictures Relating to the Old Testament):: or O. Keel, ::amazon(1575060140,The Symbolism of the Biblical World: Ancient Near Eastern Iconography and the Book of Psalms)::, trans. T. J. Hallett. and O. Keel, ::amazon(080062789X,Gods, Goddesses, and Images of God in Ancient Israel)::
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Religion of Israel
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$28
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P. D. Miller, ::amazon(0664221459, The Religion of Ancient Israel):: [P. D. Miller, P. D. Hanson and S. D. McBride eds., ::amazon(0800608313,Ancient Israelite Religion):: (out of print) or K. van der Toorn, B. Becking and P. W. van der Horst, ::amazon(0802824919,Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible)::]
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Culture
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$31
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P. J. King and L. E. Stager, ::amazon(0664221483,Life in Biblical Israel):: [also D. J. Wiseman ed., ::amazon(0198263163,Peoples of Old Testament Times):: (Oxford: Clarendon, 1973) or R. de Vaux, ::amazon(080284278X,Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions)::, 2 vols.]
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ANE Texts
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($106)
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J. B. Pritchard ed., ::amazon(0691035032,Ancient Near Eastern Tests Relating to the Old Testament [ANET])::, 3rd ed. [or W. W. Hallo ed., ::amazon(9004106189,The Context of Scripture: Canonical Compositions from the Biblical World):: & ::amazon(9004106197,Monumental Inscriptions form the Biblical World)::, & ::amazon(9004106200,Archival Documents from the Biblical World)::, 3 vols.]
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$232
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Total (estimate)
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Mar
15
2006
“How can one properly study the text until the text has been determined?”
-Sage advice from a friend
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Introduction and Overview:
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$28
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E. Wurthwein, ::amazon(0802807887,Text of the Old Testament)::
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Free
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Bruce K. Waltke, “The Textual Criticism of the Old Testament” in Biblical Criticism (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1978) pp. 47-82. Also in ::amazon(031024837X,The Expositor’s Bible Commentary)::, vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979) 211-228.
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$12
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E. Brotzman, ::amazon(0801010659,Old Testament Textual Criticism)::
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$30
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E. Tov, ::amazon(0800634292,Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible):: (or J. Weingreen, ::amazon(0198154534,An Introduction to the Critical Study of the Text of the Hebrew):: )
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Masorah Studies:
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$40
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Israel Yeivin, ::amazon(089130374X,Introduction to the Tiberian Masorah)::.
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$26
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Page H. Kelly, et al. ::amazon(0802843638,The Masorah of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia)::.
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The Resource of Resources
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N/A
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Dominique Barthélemy, ::amazon(2827102455,Critique Textuelle de L’Ancien Testament)::, 5 vols. (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1982) [available at ABS ; full report is in French]
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($50 each)
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Dominique Barthélemy, Preliminary and Interim Report on the Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, 5 vols. (New York: United Bible Societies) [preliminary findings translated into English]
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$136-386
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Total (estimate)
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Other helpful articles:
- P. K. McCarter, Jr., “Textual Criticism: Recovering the Test of the Hebrew Bible” in Guides to Biblical Scholarship (Fortress Press, 1986).
- E. Tov, “Textual Criticism (OT)” in ::amazon(038542583X,Anchor Bible Dictionary)::, vol. 4 (Doubleday, 1992) 393-412.
- J.W. Wevers, "Proto-Septuagint Studies" in ::amazon(B0007IV5VI,The Seed of Wisdom: Essays in Honour of T.J. Meek)::, ed. W.S. McCullough, (Toronto, 1964).
Additional Resources for the Versions
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Version Texts:
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Septuagint
A. Rahlfs, ::amazon(3438051214,Septuaginta):: [Göttingen edition, Septuaginta Vestus Testamentum Graecum (in progress)].
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Peshitta
::amazon(9004123377,The Old Testament in Syriac):: (Leiden: Brill, 1972)
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Targum
A. Sperber, ::amazon(9004140387,The Bible in Aramaic)::, reprint (Leiden: Brill, 2004).
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Old Latin
R. Gryson, Manuscritis vieux latins (Herder, 1999).
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Post-MT Manuscripts
B. Kennicott, Vetus Testamentum Hebraicum cum variis Lectionibus, 2 vols. (Oxford, 1776-80) and J.B. de Rossi, Varia Lectiones Veteris Testamenti, 4 vols. (Reprint: Amsterdam, 1969).
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Hexaploric Evidence
Field, F. Origenis Hexaplorum Quae Supersunt. 2 vols. 1875. Reprint. Hildesheim: Georg Olms, 1964.
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Version Resources:
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$10
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H. Scanlin, ::amazon(084231010X,The Dead Sea Scrolls & Modern Translations of the Old Testament)::. (or J.A. Fitzmyer. ::amazon(1555405118,The Dead Sea Scrolls: Major Publications and Tools for Study):: )
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$110
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E. Hatch and H. A. Redpath, ::amazon(0801021413,A Concordance to the Septuagint and the Other Greek Versions of the Old Testament)::, reprint, 2nd edition (Baker, 2005).
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See previous post: How to Spend Your First $200
Mar
14
2006
Let me warn aspiring biblical scholars of one of the greatest challenges to their study—the cost and availability of study tools.
What is the solution to this dilemma (besides having a rich uncle with the last name of Brill)? Spend your money wisely. Know what you need and build your library starting with the most necessary tools first. Borrow “monographs” (a book that is to be read once) from the library or friends; Purchase the perennial standards. Like a carpenter, a biblical scholar is only as good as the tools he uses.
Several clarifications are necessary so as not to give the wrong impression concerning the purpose of this (and future) posts on the topic of study tools. (1) This list is not meant to be exclusive or definitive, but only a guide. (2) The scope is delineated as that of a generalist view of OT studies. (3) A traditionalist approach is taken (i.e. printed books are preferred over virtual books).
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Text Study Tools
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$45-90
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Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia [BHS - Hebrew Bible] (::amazon(3438052199,small)::, ::amazon(3438052180,large)::)
[A. Dotan’s edition, ::amazon(1565630890,Biblia Hebraica Leningradensia)::, is also available.]
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$20-66
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Brown-Driver-Briggs [BDB] Lexicon (::amazon(1565632060,Hendrickson)::, ::amazon(0198643012,Oxford)::)
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$59-125
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Even Shoshan Concordance, out-of-print (Used: ::amazon(965170098X,Board of Jewish Education)::, ::amazon(0801034175,Baker Publ.)::)
[G. Lisowsky’s ::amazon(343805230X,Konkordanz Zum Hebraischen Alten Testament)::published by the American Bible Society is an alternative to Even-Shoshan.]
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$50
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P. Joüon – T. Muraoka, ::amazon(8876535950,A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew)::, 2 vols.
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$18
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R. Williams, ::amazon(0802022189,Hebrew Syntax: An Outline)::
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$8
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W. Scott, ::amazon(0941037355,A Simplified Guide to BHS)::
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$200
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Total (estimate)
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***Future posts will outline OT backgrounds, historical milieu, commentaries, biblical theology, literary genre and text study tools, part 2.
Mar
02
2006
The book pages have been updated with the most current posts and pdf files. Each is accessible using the links in the tool bar located directly below the DailyHebrew.com header. Happy Viewing!