Confused? Need assistance?    Ask-A-Librarian for help.

Biblical Studies

The following resources have been compiled as they specifically relate to the study of the Bible. To discover more resources on Christianity in general, please see the Christianity Resources guide.

Reference Books

The Zondervan Library has quite a deep collection of Biblical studies materials, which therefore cannot possibly be covered in the scope of this guide. In the Reference Collection, most of the relevant resources can be found in the call number range between 220.3 - 290.3.

Bibles and Texts
Bibles of all kinds and versions will be in the Call Number Range: Ref 220.4 - 220.52

Here are some special texts related to our biblical canon.

• The Septuagint with Apocrypha: Greek and English. 1980. Ref 221.48 Se63B

• The Apocrypha and pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English. 2 volumes. 1963. Ref 229.91 B58

• New Testament Apocrypha. 2 volumes. 1991. Ref 229 N53n

• The Intertestamental period. 1985. Ref 296.09 N79i

Chronologies

• Chronological and background charts of the Old Testament. 1997. Ref 221.02 W239c

• Chronological and background charts of the New Testament. 1981. Ref 225.61 H842c

Commentaries
Bible commentaries will be in the Call Number Range: Ref 220.7

• Abingdon Bible commentary. 1929. Ref 220.7 Ab5

• Anchor Bible commentaries (For all books of Bible). 38 volumes. Main Collection 220.7 B47an
  Offer translations and commentary on biblical literature by the world's finest scholars.

• Eerdmans commentary on the Bible. 2003. Ref 220,7 Ee72

• The Expositor's Bible commentary. 1976. 12 volumes. Ref 220.7 Ex76G
  This tool is created of excellent scholarship by top theological minds in the evangelical community. Based from the NIV Bible, each book of the Bible is laid out with exposition, introduction, an outline and a bibliography for future study. Notes on questions or historical controversies for passages are included, as are references to the original languages when necessary.

• Matthew Henry's commentary. 6 volumes. 1991. Ref 220.7 H423m

• The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament. 1993. Ref 225.7 K25i
  Provides verse-by-verse cultural background for each NT book, as well as providing a glossary of cultural terms and historical figures, maps and charts, bibliographies for future study, and introductory essays about cultural background information for each book.

• The IVP Bible background commentary: Old Testament. 2000. Main Collection 221.7 W17i
  Provides verse-by-verse cultural background for each OT book, as well as providing a glossary of cultural terms and historical figures, maps and charts, bibliographies for future study, and introductory essays about cultural background information for each book.

• IVP women's Bible commentary. 2002. Ref 220.7 I962i

• Jerome Biblical commentary. 1968. Ref 220.7 B81

• The New interpreter's Bible. 1994. 12 volumes. Ref 220.7 In81n
  An important reference work for students and pastor's alike, this collection offers parallel-column comparison of the NIV and NRSV texts, commentary, and sections for life application.

• Zondervan Bible commentary. 2008. Ref 220.7 In82

Concordances
Concordances of the Bible (for all versions) will be in the Call Number Range: Ref 220.523

• The Strongest NIV exhaustive concordance. 2004. Ref 220.523 St88g

• Strongest Strong's exhaustive concordance of the Bible. 2001. Ref 220.523 St88s

• Eerdmans analytical concordance to the RSV. 1988. Ref 220.523 W58e

• Young's analytical concordance to the Bible. 1982. Ref 220.523 Y84ac

• The NRSV concordance unabridged. 1991. Ref 220.523 K82n
  Lists every word with context line, except articles, conjunctions, particles, prepositions, and pronouns. These are listed without context lines in the second section. Also contains index to the 6,266 footnotes in the NRSV and a topical index.

• Zondervan NIV exhaustive concordance, 2nd ed. 1992. Ref 220.523 G62z
  Lists every word with context line, except articles, conjunctions, particles, prepositions, and pronouns. These are listed without context lines in the second section. Numbered Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek lists are in the back. At the end of each context line in the main concordance is a code number corresponding to the entry number in the biblical language lists for the original word from which the English is translated.

Dictionaries

• Anchor Bible dictionary. 1992. 6 volumes. Ref 220.3 An21f
  The ABD is both international and interconfessional, with nearly 1000 contributors from around the world representing Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim traditions (and also those of no religious tradition). The list of contributing scholars includes names long associated with biblical and theological studies. It includes entries that relate specifically to Twentieth-century developments in biblical scholarship such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, early Jewish-Christian relations, the historical Jesus, and sociological and literary methods of biblical criticism (including feminist hermeneutics), and information in numerous entries on archaeological sites. In addition, the bibliographies are usually up to date and often extensive, and in complete citation format.

• Zondervan Bible dictionary. 2008. Ref 220.3 N87

• Interpreter's dictionary of the Bible. 1962. 4 volumes. Ref 220.3 In8
  Purports to identify and explain all proper names in the Bible and Apocrypha.

• Expository dictionary of Bible words. 2005. Ref 220.3 Ex96R

• Dictionary of biblical imagery. 1998. Ref 220.3 D56R

• Dictionary of biblical prophecy and end times. 2007. Ref 220.15 H33d

• Dictionary of deities and demons in the Bible. 1999. Ref 220.3 D56T

• Evangelical dictionary of theology. 2001. Ref 230.044 E92e2

• Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology. 1996. Ref 230.041 Ev14

• The Dictionary of historical theology. 2000. Ref 23009 D56

• Theological dictionary of the Old Testament. 15 volumes. 1974. Ref 221.3 B65t

• Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch. 2003. Ref 222.1 D56A

• Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical books. 2005. Ref 222 D56A

• Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, poetry and writing. 2008. Ref 221.3 D56L

• The IVP dictionary of the New Testament. 2004. Ref 225.3 Iv7

• The New international dictionary of New Testament theology. 2003. Ref 225.3 N46
  This set features concise discussions of the major theological terms of the Bible that are arranged in English alphabetical order and discusses the use of each key term in classical Greek, the Old Testament, the rabbinic writing, and the New Testament. It also contains a glossary of technical terms, full bibliographies and complete indexes that make the wealth of information in these volumes readily accessible. An important tool for the study and understanding of Scripture.

• Theological dictionary of the New Testament. 1964-1976. 10 volumes. Ref 487.3 K65
  One of the most widely-used and well-respected theological dictionaries ever created, TDNT is indispensible for studies in the Greek New Testament. Words were selected for inclusion in this dictionary based on their theological significance. The historical development and theological nuances of each word are exhaustively explored. The authors trace usage in classical Greek literature, the Old Testament (LXX) and extrabiblical texts, and New Testament passages.

• Dictionary of New Testament Background. 2000. Ref 225.3 D545d

• Dictionary of the later New Testament and its developments. 1997. Ref 225.3 D54d

• Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels. 1992. Ref 226.03 D56G
  Articles in the Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels treat questions arising from the Gospels themselves, longstanding traditions of interpretation of Jesus and the Gospels, significant background issues, and the range of methodological approaches used in Gospels study today. These essays concentrate on Jesus and the Gospels, limiting their discussions to the needs of those who study, teach and expound the Gospels.

• Dictionary of Paul and his letters. 1993. Ref 227.03 D56h
  No other single reference work presents as much information focused exclusively on Pauline theology, literature, background and scholarship. In-depth articles focus on individual theological themes (such as law, resurrection and Son of God), broad theological topics (such as Christology, eschatology and the death of Christ), methods of interpretation (such as rhetorical criticism and social-scientific approaches), background topics (such as apocalypticism, Hellenism and Qumran) and various other subjects specifically related to the scholarly study of Pauline theology and literature (such as early catholicism, the center of Paul's theology, and Paul and his interpreters since F. C. Baur). Separate articles are also devoted to each of the Pauline letters to hermeneutics and to preaching Paul today.

• Dictionary of major biblical interpreters. 2007. Ref 220.6 D55di

• Dictionary of third world theologies. 2000. Ref 230.09 F11D

• Dictionary of science and Creationism. 1990. Ref 231.7 E19d

Encyclopedias

• International standard Bible encyclopedia. 1978. 4 volumes. Ref 220.3 In78 1978
  This practical, authoritative, and complete classic reference encyclopedia explains every significant word in the Bible and Apocrypha. It gives detailed information on the language and literature of Bible lands, and the historical and religious environments of the people of the Bible in articles by nearly 200 scholars.

• Baker encyclopedia of the Bible. 2 volumes. 1980. Ref 220.3 B17

• Zondervan pictorial encyclopedia of the Bible. 5 volumes. 1976. Ref 220.3 Z75e

• New international encyclopedia of Bible characters. 2001. Ref 220.92 En19G

• Archaeological encyclopedia of the Holy Land. 2001. Ref 913.33 N13

• Encyclopedia of religion. 2005. 15 volumes. Ref 200.3 En19
  Provides valuable summaries and analyses of the best of current scholarship in the field of religion. The final volume includes not only an index, but also a "Synoptic Outline of Contents" which sorts entry headings under topics related to either individual religions and religious traditions or religious studies and an appendix with an additional 21 entries.

Handbooks

• Eerdmans' Handbook to the Bible. 1983. Ref 220.02 AL26

• Halley's Bible handbook with the NIV. 2007. Ref 220.2 H15b

• Nave's topical Bible. 1992. Ref 220.2 N323z

• Oxford companion to the Bible. 1993. Ref 220.3 O98o

Lexicons
Greek lexicons can be found in the 483-389 call number range of the Reference section. An example of a standard book in this section is:

• A Greek-English lexicon by Liddell & Scott. 1996. Ref 483 L61
  Liddell & Scott's lexicon is the world's most comprehensive and authoritative dictionary of ancient Greek. It is the central reference work for all scholars of ancient Greek authors and texts discovered up to 1940, from the 11th century BC to the Byzantine Period. The early Greek of authors such as Homer and Hesiod, Classical Greek, and the Greek Old and New Testaments are included. Each entry lists not only the definition of a word, but also its irregular inflections, and quotations from a full range of authors and sources to demonstrate usage.

Hebrew lexicons can also be found in the Reference collection at the call number of 492. An example of a standard lexicon here is:

• A Hebrew and English lexicon of the Old Testament by Gesenius. Ref 492.4 G33
  Based on the seminal work in Hebrew lexicography, Gesenius' Thesaurus, this lexicon offers the reader short English definitions, and, in cases of uncertainty, the means of forming an independent judgment from the extant materials and the extra-biblical history of the words.

• Introduction to Biblical Hebrew syntax. 1990. Ref 492.45 W17i

• The Analytical lexicon to the Septuagint: A complete parsing guide. 1994. Ref 221.48 T21a

Atlases
Bible atlases will be in the Call Number Range here:  Ref 220.9 - 220.91

• The Harper atlas of the Bible. 1987. Ref 912.122 H23p

• Carta Bible Atlas. 2002. Ref 220.91 C24B

Finding Books

If browsing the Zondervan collection for Bible commentaries, they are found beginning with the call number 222, and are in the order of the Books of the Bible.

• Online Catalog
  • Find books, as well as a variety of other materials in the TU Libraries.
  • Use the Advanced search option to specify material format, campus, language, and date range.

• WorldCat
  • Listed under Essential Tools.
  • Find books, among other things, to request via Interlibrary Loan (ILL).

Finding Articles

• ATLA Religion Database
  Provides indexing to over 450 journals, in addition to essays, book reviews, and dissertations. 50 of those journals are available in full text format. Subjects covered include: church history, history of religions, sociology and psychology of religion, and general biblical studies.


• Christian Periodical Index
  Indexes about 100 articles and review essays in English from an evangelical perspective or of interest to the evangelical community.


• Religious and Theological Abstracts
  Contains summaries of articles from scholarly journals in religion and theology. Christian, Jewish, and other world religions.


• New Testament / Old Testament Abstracts
  Two separate publications (in the print Reference collection at 016.22 N42 and 016.22 OL1, respectively), that are now searchable electronically. Summarize articles on either New or Old Testament scholarly literature.

• Project MUSE
  This collection of 400 journals represent the publications of 100 not-for-profit organizations. Every article available in Project MUSE is in full-text, meaning you will immediately be able to view, print, or save the article for later use.

Journals

• List of Journals, Magazines and Newspapers 
  Search by journal title keyword for online full-text journals, and to see what we have in print in the library.


• Click here for a Religion Subject Search in the Periodical List to find out what journals (and how many) we have available both in print and online. Click on the blue links to enter the actual list of titles. The numbers in parentheses beside the subject indicate how many journal titles are included in that subject area. This search includes Religion, as well as Psychology and Philosophy, because of the way the company has grouped them.

Internet Resources

For more religion-related Web resources, please visit our Bible-related web sites page.

• Theological Journals Search
  Search over 250 religion journals related to scripture studies, systematic theology, practical ministries, and cognate disciplines for which full text is freely available on the Internet. While most of the journals are in English, some are in other languages, so non-English searches are appropriate.


• Bible Gateway
  Allows for easy searching based on Scripture reference as well as simple keywords.


• Unbound Bible
  Hosted by Biola University, this extremely useful web site contains a plethora of study tools and versions of the Bible.


• Blue Letter Bible
  Highlights fourteen searchable versions of the Holy Bible, as well as several tools including an encyclopedia, dictionary, twenty-three text commentaries and thirty AV commentaries.

• Research Guide for Christianity from Yale Divinity School Library
  This research guide provides useful links to catalogs, free web sites, and other scholarly resources for the use in research.


• Wabash Center for the Study of Religion
  The Wabash Center has published an "Internet Guide to Religion" which is an annotated guide to selected electronic resources. You can browse by Subject, Person, Material Types, or you can type a keyword in the search box in the left column. Excellent source for a variety of religious topics.


• Divinity Library, Vanderbilt University
  This page lists a number of free web sites interspersed with their subscription databases. Any item that states "Free database--open to all users" is one that TU students and faculty will have access to.

Other Research Tools

• Credo Reference
  A conglomeration of specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias that allows you to search for definitions and encyclopedia articles, as well as develop ideas for expanding or refining a research strategy.

• Oxford Reference Premium Online  
  Oxford University Press produces a number of extremely useful reference materials, many of which they have made available here. You can search by keyword, but you can also choose particular subjects and from there, particular books within which to search. This willl provide you with all sorts of background and broad spectrum information on a particular topic.

• Biography Resource Center  
  Find background information about people, authors, famous personalities, and others. Search by first or last name. 

Citation Help

One of the least favorite aspects of research papers are the citations, documenting the sources where you gleaned your information. To make that a little easier, the Library offers a few resources.

• The SBL handbook of style: for ancient Near Eastern, Biblical, and early Christian studies. 1999.
  Ref 808.027 Sb41 (2 are also on reserve at Circ desk)


• MLA handbook for writers of research papers. 2003.
  Ref 808.027 G35M


• A manual for writers of term papers, theses, and dissertations. [Turabian style guide]. 1996.
  Ref 808.02 T84m (also available in the Stacks)

• The Citation Style Guide is a place where you can find call numbers for print Style Manuals and Handbooks, as well as online help from several different universities around the States. Check it out and see if it helps!


• RefWorks
  is a Citation Management program. Fully available online, and linked from the Library's home page, it allows you to keep it all ELECTRONIC. Download your citations from the various databases you're using into RefWorks. This program will create the Works Cited page for you with little effort. In a database, look for the option to EXPORT - that is where you'll find this gem of a program.

• Automatically Generated Citations can be found in our Library Catalog (to the right of the item on the Results page), as well as in most EBSCO databases (like Academic Search Premier, PsycINFO, Communications and Mass Media Complete, etc.). Most databases either provide an instant citation in a couple of different styles, or they allow Exporting to RefWorks (see above). Ask a Librarian for more help in managing your citations and creating your bibliographies and works cited pages faster.

• WorldCat.org
  "Cite this item" within individual item record lists the citation in APA, MLA, Chicago and more.

• The Writing Center is also a solid resource. Available in the Library, this is run by the English department. If you'd like face-to-face help individually with citing or any aspect of writing and editing your paper, the Writing Center is the place to go. For more information, see their page on the Portal, or you can contact them at writingctr@taylor.edu.

Product descriptions on this page are incorporated from book reviews and product descriptions from various sources.

Ask-A-Librarian for more information.

Created by Lana Wilson, Reference Librarian