As our readers all know, this year’s Sunday School curriculum focuses on the Old Testament. As a fairly typical product of the Latter-day Saint religious education system, I really know nothing about the Old Testament beyond the contents of the institute manual. So one goal I have for this year is to read a bit of the scholarly literature about the Old Testament and thus to at least get my feet wet in what is obviously an immense and highly developed intellectual exchange.
The only problem is: I have no idea where to start. My guess is that there are plenty of other people in the LDS online world in the same predicament. So, for those of you with some expertise on the subject, what would be your two or three recommended first readings for people with a strong general education but no knowledge base whatsoever in Old Testament studies?
Or maybe even people with not so strong of a general education. Lol! I have high school, and a few college classes. (I would have gone to college and become some sort of scientist, writer, or both, if I had not been mired in health issues).
I have been wondering this EXACT same thing. I’d like to be able to read the OT and go OH, this can make so much more sense knowing that, culturally, X was actually referring to Y, back then. Or a whole host of other stuff, and ways to help add background and other info to things.
So I’m looking forward to answers to RT’s question, and hope to enhance my OT reading/learning as well.
Start with another translation. I have an old RSV that makes the OT SOOOOOO much more understandable. Also, read “The History of God” if you haven’t already. Good stuff!
“Who Wrote the Bible?” for the latest on the documentary hypothesis.
Something by William Dever for archaeology and the Bible.
Articles in the Anchor Bible Dictionary for individual books.
“Ancient Israel” (Shanks, ed.) for history.
I have a parallel Bible that has the KJV, the RSV (Revised Standard) and the NIV (New International). It also has the Living Bible, but it’s a paraphrase, and I don’t like it very much.
I also keep a spare NIV handy when I read from my LDS edition KJV. I second what Ann wrote above, it _really_ helps to have a more modern translation.
Look at all the “OR” “HEB” or “IE” in the footnotes of the LDS Old Testament. The KJV translators just got some of it wrong. Especially in the flowery verbage of Psalms.
I’ll be taking my NIV along with me to Gospel Doctrine class this year.
The FPR crew are also looking into this.
I would suggest the following. First get several translations to study from. I use primarily NRSV in the HarperCollins Study Bible, and The Five Books of Moses, trans by Everett Fox.
Whenever I want to get in depth w/ any particular book I go to the Anchor Bible Commentary Series. I don’t own any, so I visit the library often.
A couple books I have that are quite enjoyable include: Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, 10,000-586 BCE by Amihai Mazar, and The Bible As It Was by James L. Kugel.
And I would always recommend getting a subscription to Biblical Archaeological Review.
History of God and Jerusalem by Karen Armstrong are also very good intros.
If you want to buy a book, Boadt’s _Reading the OT_ is a good, basic introduction.
If you want something online, www.soniclight.com is the best that I have found. It is more conservative than I would like sometimes, but very good compared to others online.
http://www.hope.edu/academic/religion/bandstra/RTOT/RTOT.HTM
is another full-text online.
I really like the Bible Study Tools at www.crosswalk.com. Not only can you see a bunch of translations in one place, but if you are curious about a particular word, you can see a lexicon entry and you can see a list of all the OT verses that use that word. The interface is a little counterintuitive, but once you get used it, it is a really fabulous tool.
(At soniclight, click on study notes and then scroll down to the title of the book you want.)
The OT is a tough read, but there are oasises of sweet water. Before I read it cover to cover I read Genesis, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Isaiah. Job, Ruth and Esther are stories that can be read alone. However, for history, law, war and preaching you need to read the rest. I read it once cover to cover after first reading the BoM and joining the Church. I think the BoM gives it a lot more meaning. For me it was like climbing a mountain. It was tough, but I was happy to enjoy the view after I got it done. I search it now and than, but I’ve never yet read it in total again. Go for it!
Do you want to know what to think about the OT, or how to think about the OT?
If the later, genre is an issue. As John said, we’re going to blog on this stuff over at FPR. As a start, Robert Alter’s two slim paperbacks:
The Art of Biblical Narrative
The Art of Biblical Poetry
are both good. My thought is to start with chapter 8, Narration and Knowledge, in Narrative because you’ll catch his drift quickly there — a fruitful interaction with the narrator is usually a crucial aspect of successful reading.
Thanks for the recommendations, and I look forward to the Faith-Promoting Rumor post on the Old Testament.
By the way, on a related subject, can I recommend a wonderful book that I’ve been reading recently? It’s God’s Last Words: Reading the English Bible from the Reformation to Fundamentalism by David S. Katz (2004: Yale University Press). It’s a reception study of the Bible in English — essentially an intellectual history of the publication of the Bible in English and of how people have read and interpreted the Bible. The book is full of wonderfully odd stories and quotes, and it captures a broad and useful slice of the religious history of the English-speaking world.
RT,
http://faithprorumor.weblogs.us/archives/113
I just acquired a New American Bible and I love it. People can actually understand it. Since it is a Catholic Bible, the translation is probably fairly conservative.
The NAB, while actually problematic in many ways, is quite good for reading. I prefer the Jerusalem Bible (also Catholic) myself, but I have and use both. My problem with the NAB is that it tends to delete verses and uses criticism I find speculative to significantly change the text in a few places.
But almost any modern translation that attempts to present the narrative better as well as the poetry will be an improvement.
Just to second, the Anchor Bible Dictionary is great, although a tad expensive. (Although I got a great deal on mine) Alter’s books are also excellent.
Anybody know anything about Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible? It’s much cheaper (and smaller) than Anchor, and apparantly edited by the same guy.
Depends upon what you want. The Achor one is six very, very large volumes and incredibly comprehensive. Lots of broad topics like Biblical hermeneutics. Well worth just leaving in the bathroom so as to review random entries. If you’re just looking for a dictionary to deal with names, places, and a few key words then a smaller one would do.
Ed,
Eerdman’s stinks compared to ABD. After ABD, I would seek the ISBE (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia), so long as it’s the newer version edited by Bromiley. The older version doesn’t incorporate the Qumran findings, Hittitology, Ugaritic, etc. etc.
Here’s some recommendations from a well-known source.
I’m pretty ignorant myself, and am starting with one from that list this year.
Some of Alter’s books were already reccommended, but I’d like to second that, and say that his translations of Genesis and 1 and 2 Samuel are excellent, too.
The NAB is good for the NT. As Clark says, the OT has suffered through some highly speculative text-critical decisions.
You can, however, get a small pamphlet from the Catholic Biblical Association called “Textual Notes on the New American Bible” which will give some explanation of the thinking of the committee.
The published is St. Anthony’s Guild in Patterson, NJ, but I think I got mine through the Catholic Biblical Association website.
In addition to Alter, I would check out
The Poetics of Biblical Narrative
For myself, I tend to find “poetic” or “literary” readings of the Bible more interesting and valuable than historical, archeological, or even source criticism (although I like source criticism). What is great about Poetics — as well as Alter — is that rather than providing one with a universe of historical context it shows you how much meaning one can find simply through a close reading of the text. In addition to being more fun (IMHO) than historical or archeological stuff, it also works better in a Sunday School format. The big problem of the historical and archeological stuff in this format is that it is all contained in books that the class doesn’t necessarily have access to. On the other hand, everyone can open their scriptures to a particular passage and then start thinking about the narrative, how it connects to other bits of the narrative, etc. etc. Also, it provides a set of skills that tend to be more useful for personal scripture study. Finally, it is completely impervious to the charge that one is bringing in “outside” materials, since even in the most correlated enviroment the text of the scriptures themselves are always fair game, and fortunately they contain universes upon universes of meaning!
Nate,
Meir Sternberg’s work, I presume? If so, Amen!
The only drawback to Sternberg is that it is far harder to read for folks who haven’t tried to approach the OT from that perspective. English Lit types will go for it, but I stuck with Alter as a place for general readers to get a toehold.
There is a considerable amount of material for the Gospel Doctrine lessons at http://ldsgospeldoctrine.net
The BYU Lecture Series on the Old Testament by W. Cleon Skousen.
For over 12 years Brother Skousen taught the Old Testament to thousands of students at Brigham Young University. Just recently discovered, this popular lecture series was recorded live in 1972-73, and is now available on 23 Compact Discs. Our thanks to Dr. Roy L. Robbins of Colorado, who recorded these lectures in 1972, and has made them available. Each recording has been digitally re-mastered and enhanced to include 46 classroom lectures. That’s over 30 hours of Old Testament commentary and history.
You will hear the background and significance of the Creation; how the power of God works in the universe; Adam & Eve’s mission on earth; the life of Abraham; Moses and his calling to lead the Israelites; events of all the major ancient prophets including the story of Jonah and the whale; discussions on current events in the Middle East as they were happening; updates on Church historical events in the 1970’s; and testimony-building experiences of ancient Biblical prophets.
RT,
You might also consider reading the first 5 books of the Old Testament. The reading the whole Old Testament can turn into a chore, there are so many gems in the 5 books of Moses. It really hits home about the beginning of Gods’ dealings with man, most of the first 4000 years wrapped up in only a few short books, it explains the 12 tribes of the House of Israel, and God’s dealing with those Prophets. It was amazing to see the human-ness of those people, the mistakes they made and still were God’s people. I think you’ll draw from the lessons of those people all year long.
SpeakTheTruh
If you’re looking for a decent translation that sounds fine with a straightforward commentary that reflects the conventional wisdom, the NRSV edition of the Oxford Study Bible is an easy and economical choice. Also, the New Jerusalem Study Bible–not the Readers Version, which lacks annotations and commentary–is perfectly respectable.
But, if you’ve got the time and the motivation to dig deeper, here’s my take:
Alter is a pretty good read, and his translation of the Torah well in isolated portions, but (in my opinion) as a whole it’s a bit over the top. Also, he conceives of the Torah as a “narrative whole.” This strikes me as kind of a whacky position for someone who passes for a serious scholar. That said, if you want to contribute to the Gospel Doctrine discussion, Alter’s stuff will place you closer to the conventional Mormon view than pretty much anything else of any quality.
I recommend anything by Friedman over Alter. His Torah translation reads better as a whole, and his commentary is exceptionally insightful. Also, his Who Wrote the Bible, though terribly named, is the clearest explanation of the documentary hypothesis available.
If you’re looking for a good translation of the entire New Testament, the 1985 Jewish Publication Society translation is by far the clearest. And I agree that the Anchor Bible Commentary series is outstanding, if unduly granular. Your local library should carries the series. If it does, then that’s definitely the way to go.
in that last paragraph in my preceding comment, I intended to say “Old Testament” when I mistakenly typed “New Testament.”
DKL, great recommendation on the Bible version; Serenity and I both have the NRSV Oxford Study Bible. The maps, notes, etc., are quite helpful for people at my level of understanding.
The Torah as a “narrative whole” does sort of strike me as a little much. We’re talking about a “narrative whole” that routinely repeats itself with slight variations and sometimes even contradicts itself (e.g., Israel worries that Rachael will have to bow to Joseph — right after Rachael dies). There is, after all, a reason people came up with the documentary hypothesis in the first place…
Study the works of Avraham Gileadi, PhD. as this is a very, very good place to understanding the OT.
Reflections on Avraham Gileadi, PhD., Old Testament Lesson 3
What do you think of Gileadi’s assertion that “a knowledge of the words of Isaiah is key to comprehending the Old Testament itself and, indeed, all scriptures.”
Given Nephi’s intense love for Isaiah & Jesus’ commandment to diligently search Isaiah, Gileadi’s viewpoint may provide a key reason why Isaiah should be central to our scripture studies.
Jesus said in, 3 Ne. 20: 11 Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled—behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them—
Jesus commanded 3 Ne. 23: 1, AND now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.
Lesson 3 is full of deep theological insights and I look forward to your feedback and opinions about this lesson.
Some Lesson 3 points in summary:
• First of all, we should know that the word “God,” in Hebrew, is a plural term.
• If we too may become Adams and Eves–by passing through the steps God has outlined in his plan of salvation and exaltation–then we can reason backwards and conclude that Adam and Eve, our ancestors, must have passed through these very same steps in order for them to become Adam and Eve.
• Isaiah’s spiritual levels of Jacob/Israel (telestial), Zion/Jerusalem (terrestrial), and God’s Sons/Servants (celestrial)
• Image and likeness of God is itself defined as male and female
• God consists of both a divine Father and a divine Mother
• Adam/Eve bodies were organized from earthly (telestial) elements (cf. Moses 6:59), the words “dust” and “waters” used in the creation narrative being chaos motifs that represent matter in a disorganized state.
• The word “dust” also alludes to a rebirth or resurrection from the dust
• Those who inherit Paradise on this earth by right of possession also qualify as Adams and Eves who at some point may populate worlds. To receive Paradise as a birthright, in other words, puts a couple on the level of Adam and Eve, ready, in the due time of the Lord, to begin a new cycle of creation.
• The fact that Adam and Eve chose to partake of the forbidden fruit and temporarily leave Paradise was a calculated act that provided their sons and daughters with the kind of (telestial) environment in which they too, by overcoming evil, could ascend to their parents’ level. Through their selfless sacrifice, Adam and Eve, in turn, would ascend even further.
Avraham Gileadi, PhD., Old Testament Lesson 3
http://ldspatriot.blogspot.com/2006/01/avraham-gileadi-phd-old-testament_13.html
I know this is really late but I just found this website. I have been using “The Old Testament Made Easier” by David Ridges. Its available at Deseret and Latterday Harvest. It has helped me a lot with this years’ lesson.
http://20six.co.uk/ritas/
I would like you to look at my web site and see if it might be of help. It is an Old Testament web site with an LDS perspective. In addition to significant background information on the OT, there are also some study aids and some stories.
Before very long, I will also be selling my book, _HOW
OFTEN WOULD I HAVE GATHERED YOU: STORIES
FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT AND RELATED
SOURCES FOR LATTER-DAY SAINTS_, on the site. This is a book of more than 225 OT stories for adults and young adults, told from an LDS viewpoint. There are also numerous footnotes to provide insight and perspective on many of the stories. The book will be available soon; I will keep you undated on my website.
Remember:The Old Testament isn’t just for every fourth year anymore!
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