Basic Bibliography for Biblical Studies

A Basic Bibliography for Biblical Studies
Part 1: Resources in English
by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.

Study Bibles:

The Catholic Study Bible. 2nd edition. Donald Senior, ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.
- probably the best Bible currently available, with over 600 pages of introductory articles, "Reading Guides" to each biblical section and book, Lectionary tables, glossary, concordance, and maps, in addition to the text, introductions, and notes of the New American Bible (NAB) translation; first edition 1990, now with some significant updates; a comprehensive all-in-one textbook!
Saint Mary's Press College Study Bible. Winona, MN: St. Mary's Press, 2007.
- contemporary approach, with many good study aides; uses the NAB translation.
The HarperCollins Study Bible. Fully revised and updated edition. Harry Attridge, ed. New York: HarperCollins, 2006.

contains some of the best introductions & notes currently available; presents the consensus of the best modern scholarship, by members of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL); based on the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation; the 1993 and 1997 editions are also still very good.

The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha. Third Edition. Michael D. Coogan, ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.

a very good "Ecumenical Study Bible," also based on the NRSV; second edition (1991) was by Bruce M. Metzger & Roland E. Murphy, eds.

The New Jerusalem Bible. Henry Wansrough, ed. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1999.

original French edition produced by the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem; contemporary translation and excellent notes; available in various editions and sizes.

Click here for a list of Modern English Translations.

Parallel Bibles:

The Complete Parallel Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books. Revised edition. Oxford University Press, 1993.
- contains the whole Bible (OT & NT) in four versions: NRSV (New Revised Standard Version), REB (Revised English Bible), NAB (New American Bible), and NJB (New Jerusalem Bible).
The Catholic Comparative New Testament. Oxford University Press, 2006.
- prints eight versions in parallel columns: DR (Douay-Rheims), NAB (New American Bible), RSV (Revised Standard Version), NRSV (New Revised Standard Version), JB (Jerusalem Bible), NJB (New Jerusalem Bible),GNT (Good News Translation), and CCB (Christian Community Bible).
The Contemporary Parallel New Testament. Oxford University Press, 1998.
- with eight popular Protestant translations: KJV (King James Version), NASB (New American Standard Bible), NCB (New Century Bible), CEV (Contemporary English Version), NIV (New International Version), NLB (New Living Bible), NKJV (New King James Version), and The Message

Bible Dictionaries:

HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. Paul J. Achtemeier, ed. New York: HarperCollins, 1996.

the best one-volume dictionary available today, with brief articles, helpful cross-references, and additional bibliography; usually presents the consensus opinions of modern scholars; by members of the SBL; originally called Harpers Bible Dictionary (1985).

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. David Noel Freedman, ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000.
- another excellent recent one-volume dictionary with up-to-date bibliography
Catholic Bible Dictionary. Scott Hahn, ed. Doubleday Religion, 2009.
- a very recent one-volume dictionary, from an explicitly Catholic perspective
The Anchor Bible Dictionary. 6 vols. David Noel Freedman, ed. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

the best new multi-volume resource; also available on CD-ROM; too expensive for most individuals, but essential for any school, parish, or community library.

The New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible. 5 vols. Katharine Doob Sakenfeld, ed. Nashville: Abingdon, 2006-2009.
- updated edition of a standard classic (listed next).
The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible. 4 vols. George A. Buttrick, ed. Nashville: Abingdon, 1962.
& The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible. Supplementary Volume. Keith Crim, ed. Nashville: Abingdon, 1976.

older, but still an excellent resource for many topics; check the supplementary volume for updated articles on some topics.

Dictionary of the Bible. John L. McKenzie, ed. NY: Scribner, 1965; reprint Touchstone, 1995.
- somewhat dated, but still excellent overall; very compact entries with many biblical references, from a Catholic perspective.

Bible Commentaries:

New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Raymond Brown, et al., eds. Ingelwood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990.

very detailed line-by-line commentaries on each biblical book; also contains excellent overview articles on many historical and theological topics.

HarperCollins Bible Commentary. James L. Mays, ed. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2000.

good section-by-section comments; less expensive than NJBC, but fewer introductory and topical articles; formerly called Harper's Bible Commentary (1988).

Collegeville Bible Commentary. Dianne Bergant & Robert J. Karris, eds. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1989.

slightly simpler explanations for more general audiences; available in one large volume, or two separate volumes (OT and NT), or inexpensive individual pamphlets for each biblical book.
New editions of individual pamphlets are being published as The New Collegeville Bible Commentary series, as of 2004.

There are many other commentary series with individual volumes on each biblical book; see especially:

"Anchor Bible Commentary" series (Doubleday) - large, detailed, mostly excellent volumes; some still being revised/republished.
"Berit Olam" (OT) and "Sacra Pagina" (NT) series (Liturgical Press) - excellent volumes combining academic scholarship with a more pastoral focus.
"Old Testament Message" and "New Testament Message" series (Liturgical Press) - shorter, slightly older, but still good intros.
"Doubleday NT Commentary" series (Image Books) - short volumes entitled "Invitation to XYZ: A Commentary on XYZ with Complete Text from The Jerusalem Bible"; older, shorter, but still useful; available in many public and parish libraries.

Bible Atlases & Archaeological Encyclopedias:

Oxford Bible Atlas. Adrian Curtis, ed. 4th edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.
HarperCollins Atlas of Bible History. San Francisco: HarperOne, 2007.

The Carta Bible Atlas. Yohanan Aharoni & Michael Avi-Yonah, eds. Jerusalem: Carta, 2002.
- Revised edition of The Macmillan Bible Atlas (3rd ed. New York: Macmillan, 1993).
The Collegeville Atlas of the Bible. Marcus Braybrooke and James Harpur, eds. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1998.
The HarperCollins Concise Atlas of the Bible. James B. Pritchard and L. Michael White, eds. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1997.
The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide. Oxford Archaeological Guides. New York: Oxford Univeristy Press, 2008.
The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land. 4 vols. Ephraim Stern, ed. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society; New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993.
Bible Maps and Slideshows - restricted to current students only (due to copyright laws; sorry!);
others can see Mark Goodacre's list at Ancient World: Maps

Bible Concordances in English:

NRSV Exhaustive Concordance. Bruce M. Metzger, ed. Nashville: T. Nelson, 1991.
The Concise Concordance to the NRSV. John R. Kohlenberger III, ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.
Nelson's Complete Concordance of the New American Bible. Stephen J. Hartdegen, ed. Nashville: T. Nelson, 1977.
Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible. 22^ndAmerican edition. Robert Young, ed. Hendrickson, 1984. -- uses the KJV
Note: Most electronic Bible programs can also give comprehensive lists of biblical terms and references; see esp. the BibleWorks and Bibloi programs.

Gospel Synopses, Pauline Parallels, and OT Parallels:

Synopsis of the Four Gospels: Revised Standard Version. New York: American Bible Society, 2010.

English-only edition; re-issue of the classic Synopsis by Kurt Aland.

Aland, Kurt. Synopsis of the Four Gospels: Greek-English Edition. New York: United Bible Societies, 1985.

available in Greek-English, Greek-only, or English-only editions; uses the RSV translation.

Throckmorton, Burton H., Jr. Gospel Parallels: A Comparison of the Synoptic Gospels (NRSV Edition). 5^th ed. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1992.

compares Matthew, Mark & Luke, in NRSV translation; also includes references to the Gospel of Thomas and a few other non-canonical texts.

ONLINE Gospel Synopsis: The Five Gospels Parallels, by John W. Marshall.
Wilson, Walter T. Pauline Parallels: A Comprehensive Guide. Westminster John Knox, 2009.
Francis, Fred O., and J. Paul Sampley. Pauline Parallels. 2^nded. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984.
Endres, John C., et al., eds. Chronicles and Its Synoptic Parallels in Samuel, Kings, and Related Biblical Texts. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1998.

Introductory Bible Reading Guides:

Binz, Stephen J. Introduction to the Bible: A Catholic Guide to Studying Scripture. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 2007.
Fischer, James A. Interpreting the Bible: A Simple Introduction. New York: Paulist Press, 1996.
Mueller, Steve. The Seeker's Guide to Reading the Bible: A Catholic View. Chicago: Loyola Press, 1999.
Murdy, Kay. What Every Catholic Needs to Know About the Bible: A Parish Guide to Bible Study. San Jose: Resource Publications, 2004.
Nutting-Ralph, Margaret. Scripture: Nourished by the Word. Chicago: Loyola Press, 2002.
St. Mary's Press. Understanding the Bible: A Guide to Reading the Scriptures. Winona: MN, 2008.
Somewhat longer introductions:
*Montague, George T. Understanding the Bible: A Basic Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. Revised & expanded edition. New York: Paulist Press, 2007.
*Miller, John W. How the Bible Came to Be: Exploring the Narrative and Message. New York: Paulist Press, 2004.
See also my page on Bible Reading Plans and Study Guides

More Bibliographical Recommendations: