Useful Multi-author Books for Evangelical Readers

OLD TESTAMENT AND THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST

Åström, Paul. ed. High, Middle or Low? Acts of the International Colloquium on Absolute Chronology Held at the University of Gothenburg 20th-22nd August 1987, Part 1. Gothenburg: Paul Åströms, 1987. This is a collection of articles by mainstream authors about the problems associated with dating when things happened in the ancient world. One useful article in this book is K. A. Kitchen, "The Basics of Egyptian Chronology in Relation to the Bronze Age." While this is a very useful article, Kitchen does defend a "low" chronology. It is much easier to correlate Biblical events with Egyptian history is a "high" chronology is used.

Bienkowski, Piotr, et al. eds. Writing and Ancient Near Eastern Society: Papers in Honour of Alan R. Millard. New York: T & T Clark, 2005. This is a set of mainstream articles written by people of various theological perspectives. The studies are written at a masters or doctoral level. Two useful articles are Graham Davies, "Some Uses of Writing in Ancient Israel in the Light of Recently Published Inscriptions," and K. A. Kitchen, "Now You See It, Now You Don't! The Monumental Use and Non-Use of Writing in the Ancient Near East."

Biran, Avraham, ed. Temples and High Places in Biblical Times. Jerusalem: Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion, 1981. This is a mainstream (liberal) book, so its conclusions must always be evaluated carefully. However, its articles are often interesting and helpful. Perhaps the most interesting article is David Noel Freedman's article "Temple Without Hands." The book is written at a masters or doctoral level.

Block, Daniel I. ed. Israel: Ancient Kingdom or Late Invention? Nashville, TN: B & H Academic, 2008. Block's book is a collection of articles that address in general the minimalist claim that the Old Testament was a fictional account and that ancient Israel did not really exist. The book is conservative, and it was written at a college or masters level. It is a valuable contribution to an important debate.

Bowie, Fiona and Deacy, Christopher, eds. The Coming Deliverer: Millennial Themes in World Religions. Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1997. This is a collection of essays by mainstream authors. So its conclusions must be viewed with care. One interesting article in it is  Jonathan G. Campbell, "Messianic Hope in Second Temple Judaism."

Clifford, Richard J. ed. Wisdom Literature in Mesopotamia and Israel. Atlanta, GA: Society of Biblical Literature, 2007. This is a brief collection of articles written by people of various theological perspectives. It is written at a college or masters level. The articles discuss the relationship between the Old Testament and ancient Near Eastern wisdom texts. 

Cross, Frank Moore. ed. Symposia Celebrating the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the Founding of the American Schools of Oriental Research (1900-1975). Cambridge, MA: American  Schools of Oriental Research, 1979. This is a collection of mainstream articles. They are written by people with various perspectives, although none of them would affirm the inerrancy of the biblical text. One of the more interesting studies is Richard J. Clifford, "The Temple in the Ugaritic Myth of Baal."

Ehrich, Robert W. ed. Chronologies in Old World Archaeology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1954. This book is a collection of articles by various authors. The perspectives presented are mainstream and not very conservative. It is written at a masters/doctoral level, and its claims are somewhat dated. However, it does give a lot of useful information for understanding the broad sweep of ancient Near Eastern history.

Hallo, William M. et al, eds. Scripture in Context II: More Essays on the Comparative Method." Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1983. This is a mainstream collection of articles whose claims must be evaluated carefully. One useful article in the set is Stephen Stohlmann's article "The Judean Exile after 701 B.C.E." It is written at a masters or doctoral level.

Hess, Richard S. et al, eds. He Swore an Oath: Biblical Themes from Genesis 12-50. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker,1994. This is a collection of essays written by people of different theological perspectives. One interesting study in it is Kenneth A. Kitchen, "Genesis 12-50 in the Near Eastern World."

Hess, Richard S. and Carroll, M. Daniel R. eds. Israel's Messiah in the Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2003. This is a set of articles about the messianic motif written by authors from different theological perspectives. One useful article is Daniel I. Block, "My Servant Davie: Ancient Israel's Vision of the Messiah." The studies are written at a masters or doctoral level.

Hoffmeier, James K. and Millard, Alan, eds. The Future of Biblical Archaeology: Reassessing Methodologies and Assumptions. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 2004. This book is aimed at a college or masters level audience. This book contains a collection of articles that were originally presented as papers at a conference at Trinity. The authors are generally conservative, although several would not accept the idea of Biblical inerrancy. Alan Millard may be the best generally conservative ancient Near Eastern scholar working today.

Ishida, Tomoo. ed. Studies in the Period of David and Solomon and other Essays. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1982. This is a collection of articles by authors of various perspectives. Two of the more interesting studies are Tomoo Ishida's article "Solomon's Succession to the Throne of David - A Political Analysis," and Abraham Malamat's article "A Political Look at the Kingdom of David and Solomon and its Relations with Egypt." They are written at a masters or doctoral level.

Kaiser, Walter C. Jr. ed. Classical Evangelical Essays in Old Testament Interpretation. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 1972. This volume reprints a number of old but valuable studies. It includes two useful articles by Robert Dick Wilson titles "Yahweh (Jehovah) and Exodus 6:3," and "Understanding 'The Sun Stood Still." These essays are conservative and are written at a masters level.

McKim, Donald K. Major Themes in the Reformed Tradition. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1992. This is a conservative set of essays written at a masters or doctoral level. One useful study is William Klempa, "The Concept of the Covenant in Sixteenth- and Seventeenth- Century Continental and British Reformed Theology."

Millard, Alan R. et al. eds. Faith, Tradition, and History: Old Testament Historiography in its Near Eastern Context. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1994. This is a valuable set of studies about the relationship between the Old Testament and the ancient Near East. Two useful articles in it are Edwin Yamauchi, "The Current State of Old Testament Historiography," and Daniel I. Block, "Deborah among the Judges: the Perspective of the Hebrew Historian." These articles are written at a masters or doctoral level.

O'Connor, David, and Cline, Eric H. Amenhotep III: Perspectives on His Reign. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1998. This is a set of mainstream articles about Amenhotep III. While none of the authors would agree at all, by an 18th Dynasty exodus chronology, he would have been on the throne around the time that Israel entered Canaan. These articles are written at a masters or doctoral level.

Payne, J.  Barton. ed. New Perspectives on the Old Testament. Waco, TX: Word, 1970. This is a collection of valuable conservative studies written at a masters or doctoral level. One useful study in it is Leon T. Wood, "Date of the Exodus."

Rainey, Anson F. Egypt, Israel, Sinai: Archaeological and Historical Relationships in the Biblical Period. Tel Aviv: Tel Aviv University, 1987. This is a collection of mainstream liberal studies. None of the authors would accept the inerrancy of the biblical text, although Bietak would have more sympathy for the biblical account than Redford. One study that is quite interesting is Raphael Giveon, "The Impact of Egypt on Canaan in the Middle Bronze Age." If reinterpreted in a conservative orientation, this article can shed light on the relationship between Egypt and Israel's patriarchs. Another interesting article is Manfred Bietak, "Canaanites in the Eastern Nile Delta." This article sheds light on Egypt's Hyksos rulers who ruled Egypt for half of Israel's Egyptian sojourn.

Strand, Kenneth A. ed. The Sabbath in Scripture and History. Washington D.C.: Review and Herald, 1982. This is a collection of articles about the Sabbath as practiced at different times and places. The articles are written by authors of various theological perspectives. One interesting study is Gerhard F. Hasel and W. G. C. Murdoch, "The Sabbath in the Prophetic and Historical Literature of the Old Testament."

NEW TESTAMENT

Beale, G. K. and Carson, D. A. eds. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2007. This book is conservative, and it is written at a college or masters level. It contains articles on each New Testament book. The articles are written by conservative scholars, and they discuss how the New Testament uses the Old Testament.

Longenecker, Richard  N. and Tenney, Merrill C. eds. New Dimensions in New Testament Study. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1974. This is a collection of articles written on New Testament topics by conservative authors. They are generally at a masters or doctoral level.

MacDonald, John. ed. The Annual of Leeds University Oriental Society, Volume 6, 1966-1968, Dead Sea Scroll Studies 1969. Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1969. This year's edition includes articles about Qumran written by authors of different theological perspectives. One brief but useful study in it is F. F. Bruce, "Holy Spirit in the Qumran Texts."

Meinhardt, Molly Dewsnap, ed. Jesus: The Last Day: A Collection of Essays Published by the Biblical Archaeology Society. Washington, D.C.: Biblical Archaeology Society, 2003. While not really committed to a conservative orientation, this book contains a number of good articles exploring the historical and archaeological evidence that can be used to illumine the account of Christ's crucifixion. It is worth reading. It is written at a college level.

Shanks, Hershel, et al. The Dead Sea Scrolls after Forty Years. Washington D.C.: Biblical Archaeology Society, 1990. This short paperback is a mainstream study, it is a good analysis of the history of Qumran and its significance. It is written at a general or college level.

Tadmor, H. and Weinfeld, M. History, Historiography and Interpretation: Studies in Biblical and Cuneiform Literatures. Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1983. This is a collection of articles by mainstream authors. One useful article is Frank M. Cross Jr. "The Ammonite Oppression of the Tribes of Gad and Reuben: Missing Verses from I Samuel 11 Found in 4QSamuel."

THEOLOGY

Bartholomew, Craid, et al, eds. Out of Egypt: Biblical Theology and Biblical Interpretation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004. This is a Graduate/Doctoral level study. It surveys the field of Old Testament Theology. It sometimes takes a moderately liberal perspective, but it has some good insights too. It is about the academic discussion instead of being about the Bible itself. The value of the book is that it gives an overview of how the academic world has approached the topic of Old Testament Theology. There is less in it that will help you understand the Bible itself. Bartholomew, Craid, et al, eds. Out of Egypt: Biblical Theology and Biblical Interpretation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004. This is a Graduate/Doctoral level study. It surveys the field of Old Testament Theology. It sometimes takes a moderately liberal perspective, but it has some good insights too. It is about the academic discussion instead of being about the Bible itself. The value of the book is that it gives an overview of how the academic world has approached the topic of Old Testament Theology. There is less in it that will help you understand the Bible itself.

Marshall, I Howard. New Testament Interpretation: Essays on Principles and Methods. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 1977. This is a collection of articles written from several different theological perspectives. The articles address topics related to the interpretation of the New Testament. As long as the articles are read critically, they can provide valuable insights into the exegetical process. The book is written at a college or masters level.

Ollenburger, Ben C. ed. Old Testament Theology: Flowering and Future.  Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2004. This is a collection of articles written by people from a variety of theological perspectives, although the majority of them are rather left wing. The articles address a number of topics related to Old Testament theology. It is written at a masters or doctoral level.

VanGemeren, Willem A. ed. A Guide to Old Testament Theology and Exegesis: The Introductory Articles from the New Testament Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1977. This is a collection of articles by conservative authors about the basic issues of Old Testament Theology. It is written at a college or masters level.

Skilton, John H. ed. Scripture and Confession: A Book about Confessions Old and New. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1973. This is a conservative book written at a masters level. It is a collection of articles by professors at Westminster Seminary. It traces the role played by confessional documents like the Westminster Confession.

Copyright © 2009 Dr. Rodger Dalman
Last modified: 08/11/09