Joshua C. Sherrill

Recommended Reading

It is an honor to be asked on occasion for resource recommendations. Below are a list of books and a list of web links. The books I have both read (or examined) and would recommend as readable with profit for the interested Christian. The lists keep mainly to the Old Testament issues, i.e., the issues that I study and have been priveleged to teach. They are not a bibliography of my research, nor are they an endorsement of each resource’s conclusions, methods, or theology per se. One ought to read ideas he disagrees with too. Some books, for example, offer insights, some offer information. The best offer both, but normally they come in a mix of these two qualities.¹ I have listed these items because I think other Christians might be helped by them. Accordingly, I have tagged each as beneficial (in my opinion) for one of four levels of audience.

• General (G) – good for any adult reader; accessible and generally trustworthy in my opinion
• Intermediate (I) – good for the informed church member or pastor; discernment may be necessary; expect to be challeneged but profited
• Advanced (A) – academic works; good for graduate students or pastors wanting deeper study; some background is necessary; discernment is also necessary
• Reference (R) – the most academic; not for reading but for reference; the tools I have found most information rich

A final caveat: I am a lifelong student and my list will change. I don’t always nail my recommendations. Test all things, and let’s be gracious. Enjoy.

General Old Testament & Introduction

• Motyer, Alec. A Christian’s Pocket Guide to Loving the Old Testament. Scotland, UK: Christian Focus, 2015. (G)
• DeRouchie, Jason. Delighting in the Old Testament: Through Christ and for Christ. Wheaton: Crossway, 2024. (I)
• Merrill, Eugene H., Mark Rooker, and Michael A. Grisanti. The World and the Word: An Introduction to the Old Testament. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2011. (I–A)

Ancient Near East Background & Literature

• Buck, Mary Ellen. The Canaanites: Their History and Culture from Texts and Artifacts. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2019. (G)
• Currid, John D. Against the Gods: The Polemical Theology of the Old Testament. Wheaton: Crossway, 2013. (G)
• Oswalt, John. The Bible among the Myths: Unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2009. (G)
• Block, Daniel I. The Gods of the Nations: A Study of Ancient Near Eastern National Theology. 2nd ed. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2013. (I)
• Niehaus, Jeffrey J. Ancient Near Eastern Themes in Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2008. (I–A)
• Heidel, ALexander. The Babylonian Genesis: The Story of Creation. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1951. (A)
• Hoert, Alfred J., Gerald L. Mattingly, and Edwin M. Yamauchi, eds. Peoples of the Old Testament World. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1994. (A)
• Arnold, Bill T. and Brent A. Strawn, eds. The World Around the Old Testament: The People and Places of the Ancient Near East. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2016. (A)

Atlases, Archaeology, & Historical Geographies

• Kramer, Joel P. Where God Came Down: The Archaelogical Evidence. The Bible and Archaeology Speaks 1. Brigham City, UT: Expedition Bible, 2020. (G)
• Hays, J. Daniel. A Christian’s Guide to Evidence for the Bible: 101 Proofs from History and Archaeology. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2020. (G)
• Currid, John D. and David P. Barrett, ESV Bible Atlas. Wheaton: Crossway, 2010. (G–I)
• Beck, John A. Discovery House Bible Atlas. Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 2015. (G–I)
• Beitzel, Barry J. The New Moody Atlas of the Bible. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2009. (G–I)
• Schlaegel, William. Satelite Bible Atlas: Historical Geography of the Bible. 2nd ed. Israel: Sky Land, 2016. (I)
• Bahat, Dan. The Carta Jerusalem Atlas. 3rd rev. and exp. ed. Jerusalem: Carta, 2011. (R)
• Rainey, Anson F. and R. Steven Notley. The Sacred Bridge: Carta’s Atlas of the Biblical World. 2nd emended and enhanced ed. Jerusalem: Carta, 2006. (R)

Canon & Text

• Meade, John D. and Peter J. Gurry. Scribes & Scripture: The Amazing Story of How We Got the Bible. Wheaton: Crossway, 2022. (I)
• Kruger, Michael J. Canon Revisited: Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books. Wheaton: Crossway, 2012. (I–A)
• Gignilliat, Mark S. Reading Scripture Canonically: Theological Instincts for Old Testament Interpretation. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2019. (I)
• Sailhamer, John. The Meaning of the Pentateuch: Revelation, Composition and Interpretation. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2009. (A)
• Seitz, Christopher. The Goodly Fellowship of the Prophets: The Achievement of Association in Canon Formation. Acadia Studies in Bible and Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009. (A)
• Chapman, Stephen B. The Law and the Prophets: A Study in Old Testament Canon formation. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2020. (A)
• Brotzman, Ellis and Eric J. Tully. Old Testament Textual Criticism: A Practical Introduction. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2016. (A)
• Tov, Emanuel. Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible. 4th rev. and exp. ed. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2025. (R)

Doctrine of Scripture

• Packer, J. I. God Has Spoken. 1979. Repr., London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2016. (G)
• Merrick, J. and Stephen M. Garrett, eds. Five Views on Biblical Inerrancy. Counterpoints. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013. (I)
• Thompson, Mark D. The Doctrine of Scripture: An Introduction. Short Studies in Systematic Theology. Wheaton: Crossway, 2022. (I)
• Frame, John M. The Doctrine of the Word of God. A Theology of Lordship 4. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2010. (I)

Hebrew

• Hardy, H. H. II. Exegetical Gems from Biblical Hebrew: A Refreshing Guide to Grammar and Interpretation. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2019. (A)
• Arnold, Bill T. and John H. Choi. A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018. (R)
• Williams, Ronald J. Williams’ Hebrew Syntax. 3rd ed. Revised and expanded by John C. Beckman. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007. (R)
• Hardy, H. H. II and Matthew McAffee. Going Deeper with Biblical Hebrew: An Intermediate Study of the Grammar and Syntax of the Old Testament. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2024. (R)
• van der Merwe, Christo H. J., Jacobus A. Naudé, and Jan H. Kroeze. A Biblical Hebrew Reference Grammar. 2nd ed. New York: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2017. (R)

Hermeneutics

• Chou, Abner. The Hermeneutics of the Biblical Writers: Learning to Interpret Scripture from the Prophets and Apostles. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2018. (G–I)
• Schnittjer, Gary Edward. Od Testament Use of Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2021. (R)
• Beale, G. K. and D. A. Carson, eds. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008. (R)

Historicity & Historiography

• Merrill, Eugene H. Kingdom of Priests. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008. (A)
• Kitchen, Kenneth A. On the Reliability of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006. (A)
• Provan, Iain, V. Philips Long, and Tremper Longman III. A Biblical Hsitory of Israel. 2nd ed. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2015. (A)
• Arnold, Bill T. and Richard S. Hess, eds. Ancient Israel’s History: An Introduction to Issues and Sources. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2014. (A)
• Howard, David M. Jr., and Michael A. Grisanti, eds. Giving the Sense: Understanding and Using Old Testament Historical Texts. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2003. (I–A)
• Block, Daniel I., David C. Deuel, C. John Collins, and Paul J. N. Lawrence, eds. Write that They May Read: Studies in Literacy and Textualization in the Ancient Near East and in the Hebrew Scriptures: Essays in Honour of Professor Alarn R. Millard. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2020. (A)

Historical Criticism

• Linnemann, Eta. Historical Criticism of the Bible: Methodology or Ideology? Reflections of a Bultmannian Turned Evangelical. Translated by Robert Yarbrough. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1990. (I)
• Gignilliat, Mark S. A Brief History of Old Testament Criticism: From Benedict Spinoza to Brevard Childs. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012. (A)

Interpretive Issues

• Vlach, Michael J. The New Covenant Lawgiver: Jesus and Law in Matthew 5:17–48. Theological Studies Press, 2022. (G)
• Todd, James M. III. Sinai and the Saints: Reading Old Covenant Laws for the New Covenant Community. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2017. (G–I)
• Halton, Charles, ed. Genesis: History, Fiction, or Neither? Three Views on the Bible’s Earliest Chapters. Counterpoints. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2015. (I)
• Janzen, Mark D., ed. Five Views on the Exodus: Historicity, Chronology, and Theological Implications. Counterpoints. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2021. (I)
• Cowles, C. S., Eugene H. Merrill, Daniel L. Gard, and Tremper Longman III. Show Them No Mercy: Four Views on God and the Canaanite Genocide. Counterpoints. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003. (I)
• King, Andrew M., William R. Osborne, and Joshua M. Philpot, eds. The Law, the Prophets, and the Writings: Studies in Evangelical Old Testament Hermeneutics in Honor of Duane A. Garrett. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2021. (I–A)

Intertestamental Period

• Athas, George. Bridging the Testaments: The History and Theology of God’s People in the Second Temple Period. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2023. (A)
• Mulder, Martin Jan and Harry Sysling. Mikra: Text, Translation, Reading & Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Ancient Judaism & Early Christianity. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2016. (R)

Israel Today

• Beck, John A. The Holy Land for Christian Travelers: An Illustrated Guide to Israel. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2017. (G)
• Rydelnik, Michael. How Should Christians Think of Israel? A Quick Guide to God’s Covenants, Biblical Prophecy, and the Jewish People. Chicago: Moody, 2025. (G)
• Price, Randall. What Should We Think about Israel? Separating Fact from Fiction in the Middle East Conflict. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2019. (G)
• McDermott, Gerald R. Israel Matters: Why Christians Must Think Differently about the People and the Land. Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2017. (G)
• Vlach, Michael J. Has the Church Replaced Israel? A Theological Evaluation. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2010. (I)
• McDermott, Gerald R., ed. The New Christian Zionism: Fresh Perspectives on Israel & the Land. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2016. (I–A)
• Horner, Barry E. Future Israel: Why Christian Anti-Judaism Must Be Challenged. NAC Studies in Bible & Theology. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2007. (A)

Linguistics

• Silva, Moisés. God, language and Scripture: Reading the Bible in the Light of General Linguistics. Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation 4. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 1991. (G–I)
• Silva, Moisés. Biblical Words and Their Meaning: An Introduction to Lexical Semantics. Rev. and updated ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 1995. (I)
• Mangum, Douglas and Josh Westbury. Linguistics & Biblical Exegesis. Lexham Methods Series. Bellingham, WA: Lexham, 2017. (I)
• Noonan, Benjamin J. Advances in the Study of Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic: New Insights for Reading the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Academic, 2020. (A)
• Ross, William A. and Elizabeth Robar, eds. Linguistic Theory and the Biblical Text. Cambridge Semitic Languages and Cultures 20. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; Open Book, 2023. (A)

Literary Analysis

• Beck, John A. God as Storyteller: Seeking Meaning in Biblical Narrative. Chalice Press, 2008. (G)
• Long, V. Philips. The Art of Biblical History. Foundations of Contemporary Interpretation 5. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994. (G)
• Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Narrative. Rev. and updated ed. New York: Basic Books, 2011. (A)
• Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Poetry. Rev. and updated ed. New York: Basic Books, 2011. (A)

Theology of the OT & Biblical Theology

• Demptster, Stephen G. Dominion and Dynasty: A Theology of the Hebrew Bible. New Studies in Biblical Theology. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2003. (A)
• Rydelnik, Michael. The Messianic Hope: Is the Hebrew Bible Really Messianic? NAC Studies in Bible & Theology. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2010. (A)
• Merrill, Eugene H. Everlasting Dominion: A Theology of the Old Testament. Nashville: B&H, 2006. (A)

Web Links

In time, I will update this with more and more organized links. For now, these are great resources for any interested Christian (G–R).

• Text & Canon Institute – Articles, videos, and conferences on the reliability of the Bible. https://textandcanon.org/.
• STEP Bible – Free evangelical resources for Bible study. https://www.stepbible.org/.
• BiblePlaces.com – Articles and photo companions on biblical geography. https://www.bibleplaces.com/.
• Armstrong Institue – Articles and infographics on biblical archaeolgy. https://armstronginstitute.org/.
• Expedition Bible – Videos and tours on biblical geography and archaeology. https://expeditionbible.com/.
• Associates for Biblical Research – Articles, books, videos, magazines, and excavation details from an inerrantist organization. https://biblearchaeology.org/.
• Sefaria Library – Traditional Jewish texts online. https://www.sefaria.org/texts.
• Library of Southeastern BTS – Biblical manuscripts directory. https://library.sebts.edu/texts.
• Museum of the Bible – Their Dead Sea Scrolls online exhibit. https://www.museumofthebible.org/dead-sea-scrolls-resources.