Top 12 books for intermediate Old Testament study you need to consider

Here I offer you "12 Disciples," as it were, 12 Apostles, to guide you in your journey toward understanding the Old Testament! These are books I own, from my shelves, and this is my own idiosyncratic list and not an objective list. More than anything, these books are associated with core learning and teaching memories I have, and they will occupy a place in my heart forever. So I offer them to you here. Do what you will.

A companion video: The world of the Old Testament: Primary sources you need to go deeper!    • The primary sources you need to go de...  

(1) Two for one to start!
Augustine, On Christian Teaching: https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Teac...
Origen, On First Principles: https://www.amazon.com/First-Principl...

(2) Julius Wellhausen, Prolegomena to the History of Ancient Israel: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4732

(3) John Hayes, An Introduction to Old Testament Study: https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-O...

(4) J. Maxwell Miller and John Hayes, A History of Ancient Israel and Judah: https://www.amazon.com/History-Ancien...

(5) Pick one of these:
John Walton and D. Brent Sandy, The Lost World of Scripture: Ancient Literary Culture and Biblical Authority: https://www.amazon.com/Lost-World-Scr...
Dale Martin, Biblical Truths: The Meaning of Scripture in the Twenty-First Century: https://www.amazon.com/Biblical-Truth...

(6) Jon Levenson, The Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, and Historical Criticism: Jews and Christians in Biblical Studies: https://www.amazon.com/Hebrew-Bible-T...

(7) James Kugel, How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now: https://www.amazon.com/How-Read-Bible...

(8) Weems, Battered Love: Marriage, Sex, and Violence in the Hebrew Prophets: https://www.amazon.com/Battered-Love-...

(9) An intense commentary on your favorite biblical book! From a series like Anchor Bible, Old Testament Library, Hermeneia, Smith & Helwys, etc.:
I showed:
Patricia K. Tull, Isaiah 1–39: https://www.amazon.com/Isaiah-1-39-Sm...
Susan Niditch: Judges: A Commentary: https://www.amazon.com/Judges-Comment...
And mentioned:
Ron Hendel, Genesis: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/97803...

(10) Amihai Mazar, Archaeology of the Land of the Bible, 10,000–586 B.C.E.: https://www.amazon.com/Archaeology-La...

(11) James Barr, The Concept of Biblical Theology: An Old Testament Perspective: https://www.amazon.com/Concept-Biblic...

(12) Othmar Keel and Christoph Uehlinger, Gods, Goddesses, and Images of God in Ancient Israel: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Goddesses...

WILD CARD PICKS:
Walter Brueggemann, The Prophetic Imagination: https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Goddesses...
Timothy Beal, The Rise And Fall Of The Bible: The Unexpected History of an Accidental Book: https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Fall-Bibl...
Peter Enns, Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament: https://www.amazon.com/Inspiration-In...

Originally created for SBIS 510 Introduction to the Old Testament at Portland Seminary

Link to our course playlist:    • SBIS 510 Old Testament Introduction (...  

My faculty bio: https://www.georgefox.edu/academics/u...

My personal site: https://briandoak.com