1. Searching by Subject 2. Searching for specific books or sections of the Bible 3. Searching for specific topics, genres or interpretations 4. Searching for works on people in the Bible 5. Searching for specific versions of the Bible 6. Other subject headings for Biblical Studies 
1. Using Databases to Find Articles 2. Quick Search Articles 3. Article Databases for Biblical Studies 4. Print Indexes 5. Biblical Studies Journals: Electronic 6. Biblical Studies Journals: Print 
1. Introduction 2. Databases for Biblical Studies 
1. Searching on the Internet 2. Guides to Resources on the Web 3. Biblical Studies Web Sites 4. Submit a Web Site! 5. Tutorials 6. Biblical Studies Blogs 
1. General Biblical Studies 2. Hebrew Bible/Old Testament 3. New Testament 
1. Research guides, handbooks, etc. 2. Dictionaries & Encyclopedias 3. Exegesis Guides 4. Concordances 5. Quick Search Articles 6. Article Databases 7. Web Sites 8. Online Language Resources 
1. Research guides, handbooks, etc. 2. Dictionaries & Encyclopedias 3. Exegesis Guides 4. Gospel Parallels 5. Concordances 6. Quick Search Articles 7. Article Databases 8. Web Sites 9. Online Language Resources 
1. Research Guides, Handbooks, etc. 2. Dictionaries & Encyclopedias 
1. Electronic Concordances 2. Print Concordances 
1. Introduction 2. Research guides, handbooks, companions and bibliographies 3. Research guides, etc.: Hebrew Bible/Old Testament 4. Research guides, etc.: New Testament 5. Research guides and bibliographies: special topics 6. Dictionaries and Encyclopedias 7. Dictionaries and Encyclopedias: Hebrew Bible/Old Testament 8. Dictionaries and Encyclopedias: New Testament 
1. Online Language Resources 2. Lexicons: Hebrew 3. Lexicons: Greek 4. Lexicons: Aramaic 5. Reference Grammars: Hebrew 6. Reference Grammars: Greek 7. Reference Grammars: Aramaic 8. Other Language Resources 
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 Library Home  »  LibGuides Home  »  Biblical Studies Guide

Biblical Studies Guide 

A guide to resources available at the Yale Divinity Library for Biblical Studies.
Last update: Aug 14th, 2009 URL: http://guides.divinitylibrary.yale.edu/bible  Print Guide  RSS Updates

Finding Background Information             Print Page
  
 

1. Introduction

There are a number of good reference resources for finding background information and getting you started in the field of Biblical Studies.

Research guides, handbooks, companions, and bibliographies will direct you to important resources for your topic. For background information specific to the area of Hebrew Bible / Old Testament, go to Research guides, handbooks, companions and bibliographies under Hebrew Bible / Old Testament. For background information specific to the area of New Testament, go to Research guides, handbooks, companions and bibliographies under New Testament.

Dictionaries and encyclopedias are also helpful, especially for providing an overview of a topic. These may also provide brief bibliographies with further resources that may be helpful for your research. For dictionaries and encyclopedias specific to the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament, go to Dictionaries & Encyclopedias under Hebrew Bible / Old Testament. For dictionaries and encyclopedias specific to the New Testament, go to Dictionaries & Encyclopedias under New Testament.

 

2. Research guides, handbooks, companions and bibliographies

Research guides, handbooks, companions, introductory texts and bibliographies can help you get a sense of the discipline of biblical studies, and can guide you toward more specifc resources.

 

3. Research guides, handbooks, companions, and bibliographies: Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

 

4. Research guides, handbooks, companions and bibliographies: New Testament

  • Jesus the Christ, a bibliography - Leland Jennings White
    Call Number: Z7751 T43 v.4 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    A classified bibliography with five main sections: (I) foundations, (II) Jesus in historical perspective, (III) New Testament christology and soteriology, (IV) Christ in historical dogmatic theology, and (V) contemporary approaches and issues in christology. author index.
  • The Book of Revelation : an annotated bibliography - Robert L. Muse
    Call Number: Z7770 B66 v.2 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    A classified and annotated bibliography of books and articles on Revelation with cross references, roughly covering the period of 1940-1990, including important earlier works and some unpublished doctoral dissertations. Includes an introduction to the study of Revelation, an author index and a scripture and ancient texts index. (Preface)
  • The Book of Ephesians : an annotated bibliography - William W. Klein
    Call Number: Z7770 B66 v.8 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    A classified and annotated bibliography of books, articles and essays on Ephesians. The classification includes text sections in which titles are listed according to chapter and verse sections of Ephesians.
  • An Exegetical bibliography of the New Testament - edited by Günter Wagner
    Call Number: Z7772 L1 W33 1983 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    4 vol.: 1. Matthew and Mark, 2. Luke and Acts, 3. John and 1, 2, 3 John, 4. Romans and Galatians.
    "Entries are arranged in the order of chapters and verses of the biblical text, then chronologically. References cite many discussions hidden within more comprehensive works. Most citations refer to publications in English or German, 1950s to time of publication. No indexes." (Balay)
  • Jesus and the Synoptic Gospels : a bibliographic study guide - David E. Aune
    Call Number: Z7772 M1 A9 1982 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    "An annotated guide to literature on the various ways of studying the relation of Jesus to the Synoptic Gospels. After an introduction (which lists the basic reference works), the select bibliography is booked under the following headings: literary criticism, tradition criticism, historical criticism, and the theological study of the Gospels." (Fitzmyer) Limited to works in English. Author index.
  • Johannine bibliography, 1966-1985 : a cumulative bibliography on the Fourth Gospel - compiled by Gilbert Van Belle
    Call Number: Z7772 M1 B44 1988 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    "Contains 6,300 citations, with cross-references, to monographs, multiauthor works, articles, dissertations, and book reviews in detailed classified arrangement. Indexes of miscellanea, festschriften and collected essays; periodicals; biblical references; subjects; and names. Continues coverage provided by Edward Malatesta's St. John's Gospel, 1920-1965 (Rome: Pontifical Biblical Institute, 1967)." (Balay)
  • One Hundred Years of Study on the Passion Narratives - David E. Garland
    Call Number: Z7772 M1 G37 1989 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    A classified bibliography, which attempts "to list research over the last hundred years that is directly related to the Passion narrative," "arranged around the major events of the Passion and includes separated sections on particular topics that have evoked special concern." It is arranged chronologically with books and articles listed separately, with cross references and an author index. Includes works published in English, French, and German. (Preface)
  • The Gospel of Mark : a cumulative bibliography, 1950-1990 - compiled by F. Neirynck
    Call Number: Z7772 M1 G67 1992 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    "An extensive bibliography compiled from some 500 periodicals and series and including references to New Testament abstracts and Dissertation abstracts international. Entries are listed by author, followed by an index of Gospel passages and a detailed classified subject index. Provides lists of festschriften and commentaries, in chronological order, publ. before 1950." (Balay)
  • A Bibliography for the Gospel of Mark, 1954-1980 - Hugh M. Humphrey
    Call Number: Z7772 M1 H85 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    A classified and cross referenced bibliography of articles, essays and books published since 1954 through 1980, drawn from Elenchus Bibliographicus Biblicus, New Testament Abstracts, and Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses, with an author index. Titles are ordered chronologically under a classification beginning with the most recent title. References to New Testament Abstracts and to book review listings in the Elenchus Bibliographicus Biblicus are included.
  • The Gospel of Luke : a cumulative bibliography, 1973-1988 - compiled by Frans van Segbroeck
    Call Number: Z7772 M1 S43 1989 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    Part I lists titles alphabetically by author with some cross references and references to New Testament Abstracts. Part I contains a subject index with references to the titles in the first part and includes a scripture index.
  • A Bibliography of the periodical literature on the Acts of the Apostles, 1962-1984 - Watson E. Mills
    Call Number: Z7772 N1 M54 1986 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    "Lists relevant articles from approximately 300 scholarly journals, many not covered by Günter Wagner's Exegetical bibliography of the New Testament. Entries are arranged alphabetically by author. Scripture and subject indexes." (Balay)
  • Bibliography of literature on First Peter - Anthony Casurella
    Call Number: Z7772 P1 C37 1996 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    A classified bibliography of published works and unpublished master's and doctoral dissertations on First Peter, up to 1994, with indices of authors, editors, Festschrift honorees, reviewers and translators. (Preface)
  • New Testament exegesis : a handbook for students and pastors - Gordon D. Fee
    Call Number: BS476 F38 1983
  • Literary criticism of the New Testament - William A. Beardslee
    Call Number: BS511.2 G842 1969b (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    Guides to Biblical Scholarship Series
  • A Bibliography of New Testament bibliographies - John Coolidge Hurd
    Call Number: Z7772 L1 H8 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
 

5. Research Guides & Bibliographies: Special Topics

 

6. Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

 

7. Dictionaries & Encyclopedias: Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

  • Dictionary of the Old Testament. Pentateuch - editors, T. Desmond Alexander, David W. Baker
    Call Number: BS1225.52 .D53 2003 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    This work is published by Intervarsity Press. It follows the format and approach of previous encyclopedias by the same publisher on the New Testament. The arrangement is alphabetical by topic, and most articles are of extensive length (no article is less than 1000 words, and some exceed 10,000 words). Thus, it is does not provide brief definitions and is more of an encyclopedia than a dictionary. It is thus of little help for quick, ready-reference, but provides more of an in depth approach to various topics related to the Pentateuch. According to the preface, “Some articles touch on areas rarely examined. Other articles provide helpful surveys, leading one into an understanding of the current state of discussion. Others take critical assumptions to task, seeking at least to identify the albatross if not to remove it…” The perspective throughout is definitely of an evangelical, conservative approach, but other perspectives are addressed. Within the articles, reasoned arguments for or against the different perspectives on a topic are offered. Each article is signed by the author. Extensive bibliographies are provided at the end of each entry. Cross-references are provided. Scripture and subject indexes are provided, as well as two maps of Palestine and the Ancient Near East during the period of the Pentateuch.
  • Theological wordbook of the Old Testament - R. Laird Harris, editor
    Call Number: BS440 T49 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    "A work for the "busy pastor or earnest Christian worker who has neither the time nor background for detailed technical study," but who needs, "a tool for the study of the significant words of the Hebrew Bible."--Introd. Essays on the words selected for extensive treatment were contributed by 46 evangelical scholars of various denominations and are signed with the contributors' initials. Words not chosen for essay treatment are given one-line definitions. Arrangement is according to the consonants of the Hebrew alphabet; related words are presented with the root from which they derive. Bibliographies accompany many of the articles. An index employing the numbers from James Strong's Exhaustive concordance of the Bible facilitates access." (Balay)
  • Theological dictionary of the Old Testament - edited by G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren
    Call Number: PJ4833 T5 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
    Multi-volume Bible dictionary. Alphabetical by topic, entries are transliterated from the Hebrew. The focus in this dictionary is both linguistic and theological. Entries provide in-depth discussions of the key Hebrew and Aramaic words in the Old Testament. Contributors are international scholars from diverse religious traditions and thus exhibit a diversity of theological viewpoints. Entries typically treat the head term along with cognates and semantically related lexemes. Included is etymological analysis (which may involve investigation of sources in other ancient Near Eastern languages), a survey of the number and distribution of occurrences in the Old Testament, an overview of characteristic syntactical contexts, delineation of the semantic field, consideration of the theological significance of the data, and a bibliography. Frequently, translation equivalents that are found in the Septuagint are mentioned and, where relevant, usage in the Dead Sea Scrolls is discussed. Here and there, reference is made to rabbinic usage and apocryphal/pseudepigraphal connections. This is an important reference work for scholars working in the original language of the Hebrew scriptures.
  • Thesaurus of the language of the Bible : complete concordance : Hebrew Bible dictionary : Hebrew-English Bible dictionary - edited by Samuel E. Loewenstamm, with the co-operation of Joshua Blau
    Call Number: BS1121 L64 Oversize (Stack Reference)
  • Dictionary of the Old Testament. Wisdom, poetry & writings - Tremper Longman III, Peter Enns, editors
    Call Number: BS1200 .D53 2008 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
  • Dictionary of the Old Testament. Historical books - editors, Bill T. Arnold, H.G.M. Williamson
    Call Number: BS1205.52 .D53 2005 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
  • New international dictionary of Old Testament theology & exegesis - Willem A. VanGemeren, general editor
    Call Number: BS440 N438 1997
  • The complete word study Old Testament : King James Version
    Call Number: BS885 1994 C43 (Trowbridge Reference Room)
  • The Complete word study dictionary : Old Testament - Warren Baker, Eugene Carpenter
    Call Number: PJ4833 .B25 2003 (Marvin H. Pope Seminar Room)
  • Dictionary of basic biblical Hebrew - Shlomo Karni
    Call Number: PJ4833 .K19X 2002
 

8. Dictionaries & Encyclopedias: New Testament

 

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