Blogs
There are some blogs out there specifically for the study of the ancient near east that offer some really interesting posts that connect recent archaeological finds with the Bible. One of my favorites is Dr. Claude Mariottini’s blog aptly titled “Dr. Claude Mariottini – Professor of the Old Testament“.
Some of his recent posts include:
The largest known statue of Ramses II discovered (presumably the Pharoah of the exodus)
The ten greatest archaeological discoveries of 2008 related to the Bible
Perfume from the Time of Christ
Series on Preaching the Old Testament – Part 1 & Part 2
If you are into the biblical archaeology sort of thing you might want to think about subscribing to Dr. Mariottini’s blog. Another blog you might like, but is often a little more technical is Paleojudaica.
Books
Here are some books you also might find particularly helpful:
Backgrounds of Early Christianity by Everett Fergusson
Manners and Customs in Bible times by Victor Matthews
The Dead Sea Scrolls Today by James Vanderkam
The World of the New Testament by Abraham Mahlerbe
New Testament Background: Selected Documents by C.K. Barrett (provides examples of ancient letters similar to new testament epistolary form, etc)
Letter Writing in Greco-Roman Antiquity by Stowers
Archaeology of the Bible: Book by Book by Cornfield and David Noel Freedman
Herod King of the Jews and Friend of the Romans by Peter Richardson
Jesus and the Forgotten City: New Light on Sepphoris and the Urban World of Jesus by Richard Batey
The New Testament in Its Social Environment by Stambaugh and Balch
0 Responses
I think you’d appreciate this video:
Blessings to you!
I would add Kenneth Bailey’s “Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes” to this list. Bailey sheds much cultural light on many episodes recorded in the Gospels.
Hey Dan,
Good addition. I like Bailey but you have to be a little careful when you read him because he often uses current middle eastern culture and practice to look back on the New Testament and that may not always work out. For instance he talks about how in the middle east, the patriarchs of the family are not supposed to run and when the prodigal came home, it was really something for his father to run to him…something undignified for a man over 30 years old to do (See The Cross and the Prodigal, 54-55). That may or may not be the case just because it is currently true in the middle east. But he does have some really good material that no one else has. Thanks for mentioning him.
Hoerth and McRay
either the two volumes where one does OT and the other NT or the combined single volume by both