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  OT Studies
  Pentateuch Studies
  History Books Studies
  Studies in the Prophets
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  Acts and Letters Studies
  Revelation Studies
  Inductive Study
  Types of Literature
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Cultural and Historical Background for Old Testament Studies

These articles give invaluable historical information to help you understand the world of the Old Testament better. They are listed approximately in the order of the events of the Old Testament.

OT People confirmed by archaeology

This page contains a list of over fifty people named in the Old Testament whose existence has been confirmed by archaeological discoveries, including images, inscriptions, or historical records.

Jewish Calendar

The whole Jewish religious system was built around the yearly calendar. Here are the Jewish months, the events of the agricultural year, and their religious festivals as commanded in the Law of Moses.

Talent Converter

This page describes the different weights for buying and selling used in OT Israel as well as a facility to calculate their modern prices using today's gold and silver prices.

Cubit Converter

This page describes the different units based on the human body used for measuring lengths in OT Israel and surrounding nations, as well as a facility to convert these into modern units.

Ephah Converter

This page describes the different units used for measuring volumes of liquid or dry goods in OT Israel and surrounding nations, as well as a facility to convert these into modern units.

Canaanite Religion

A description of the sordid religious practicies of the Canaanites, which helps to explain why God commanded Joshua to wipe them out.

Israel's Enemies

Who were the Perizzites, Kenites, and all the other -ites? A brief introduction to the different peoples who lived in the Promised Land.

Holy War?

War in the Ancient Near East was not just between armies, but between the gods of the nations. When an army was victorious, that proved their god was more powerful than their enemy. See how this helps us to understand warfare in the Old Testament.

Dates of Kings

A helpful list of dates of the kings of Israel and Judah during the divided monarchy, as well as dates of kings of other nations, including Assyria and Babylon.

Syria

A description and history of Syria or Aram, Israel's northern neighbour, who they fought at frequent intervals during the early years of the divided monarchy.

Assyria

A summary of the history of the barbaric Assyrians, who captured Samaria and took Israel (the northern kingdom) into exile.

The Syro-Ephraimite War

A description of the events of the Syro-Ephraimite War during the reign of Ahaz of Judah. This is helpful background information to the early chapters of the Book of Isaiah.

701 BC

A summary of the events leading up to the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem from the armies of Sennacherib during the reign of Hezekiah in 701 BC.

Babylon

A description of the history of the new Babylonian Empire, whose main king, Nebuchadnezzar, captured Jerusalem and took the Jews into exile.

Persia

This summarises the history of the Persian Empire and gives a brief description of Persian government organisation, giving helpful background information for the post-exilic period and the Book of Esther.

Greek Empire

A short account of the amazing career of Alexander the Great, who conquered the known world in under ten years.

400 Silent Years

A short summary of the events that ocurred during the years between the Old and New Testaments.

Ptolemy / Seleucus

A description of each of Ptolemies of Egypt and the Seleucid kings of Syria as predicted by Daniel chapter 11.

Antiochus Epiphanes

Read more about the “contemptible person” predicted by Daniel, who persecuted the Jews and sacrificed a pig on the altar of the temple in Jerusalem.

The Bible

Pages which look at issues relevant to the whole Bible, such as the Canon of Scripture, as well as doctrinal and theological issues. There are also pages about the Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha and 'lost books' of the Old Testament.

Also included are lists of the quotations of the OT in the NT, and passages of the OT quoted in the NT.

Old Testament Overview

This is a series of six pages which give a historical overview through the Old Testament and the inter-testamental period, showing where each OT book fits into the history of Israel.

New Testament Overview

This is a series of five pages which give a historical overview through the New Testament, focusing on the Ministry of Jesus, Paul's missionary journeys, and the later first century. Again, it shows where each book of the NT fits into the history of the first century.

Introductions to Old Testament Books

This is an almost complete collection of introductions to each of the books in the Old Testament. Each contains information about the authorship, date, historical setting and main themes of the book.

Introductions to New Testament Books

This is a collection of introductions to each of the 27 books in the New Testament. Each contains information about the authorship, date, historical setting and main themes of the book.

Old Testament History

Information about the different nations surrounding Israel, and other articles concerning Old Testament history and the inter-testamental period.

New Testament History

Articles which give additional information about the history and culture of the first century, giving helpful background knowledge for the Gospels and Paul's travels.

Old Testament Studies

A series of articles covering more general topics for OT studies. These include a list of the people named in the OT and confirmed by archaeology. There are also pages to convert the different units of measure in the OT, such as the talent, cubit and ephah into modern units.

More theological topics include warfare in the ancient world, the Holy Spirit in the OT, and types of Jesus in the OT.

Studies in the Pentateuch (Gen - Deut)

A series of articles covering studies in the five books of Moses. Studies in the Book of Genesis look at the historical nature of the early chapters of Genesis, the Tower of Babel and the Table of the Nations.

There are also pages about covenants, the sacrifices and offerings, the Jewish festivals and the tabernacle, as well as the issue of tithing.

Studies in the Old Testament History Books (Josh - Esther)

Articles containing studies and helpful information for the history books. These include a list of the dates of the kings of Israel and Judah, a summary of the kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and studies of Solomon, Jeroboam and Josiah.

There are also pages describing some of the historical events of the period, including the Syro-Ephraimite War, and the Assyrian invasion of Judah in 701 BC.

Studies in the Old Testament Prophets (Is - Mal)

Articles containing studies and helpful information for the OT prophets. These include a page looking at the way the prophets look ahead into their future, a page looking at the question of whether Satan is a fallen angel, and a page studying the seventy weeks of Daniel.

There are also a series of pages giving a commentary through the text of two of the books:
Isaiah (13 pages) and Daniel (10 pages).

New Testament Studies

A series of articles covering more general topics for NT studies. These include a list of the people in the NT confirmed by archaeology.

More theological topics include the Kingdom of God and the Coming of Christ.

Studies in the Four Gospels (Matt - John)

A series of articles covering various studies in the four gospels. These include a list of the unique passages in each of the Synoptic Gospels and helpful information about the parables and how to interpret them.

Some articles look at the life and ministry of Jesus, including his genealogy, birth narratives, transfiguration, the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and the seating arrangements at the Last Supper.

More theological topics include the teaching about the Holy Spirit as the Paraclete and whether John the Baptist fulfilled the predictions of the coming of Elijah.

Studies in the Book of Acts and the New Testament Letters

A series of articles covering various studies in the Book of Acts and the Letters, including Paul's letters. These include a page studying the messages given by the apostles in the Book of Acts, and the information about the financial collection that Paul made during his third missionary journey.

More theological topics include Paul's teaching on Jesus as the last Adam, and descriptions of the church such as the body of Christ and the temple, as well as a look at redemption and the issue of fallen angels.

There are a series of pages giving a commentary through the text of five of the books:
Romans (7 pages), 1 Corinthians (7 pages), Galatians (3 pages), Philemon (1 page) and Hebrews (7 pages)

Studies in the Book of Revelation

Articles containing studies and helpful information for the study of the Book of Revelation and topics concerning Eschatology (the study of end-times).

These include a description of the structure of the book, a comparison and contrast between the good and evil characters in the book and a list of the many allusions to the OT. For the seven churches, there is a page which gives links to their location on Google maps.

There is a page studying the important theme of Jesus as the Lamb, which forms the central theological truth of the book. There are pages looking at the major views of the Millennium, as well as the rapture and tribulation, as well as a list of dates of the second coming that have been mistakenly predicted through history.

There is also a series of ten pages giving a detailed commentry through the text of the Book of Revelation.

Inductive Bible Study

These are a series of pages giving practical help showing how to study the Bible inductively, by asking a series of simple questions. There are lists of observation and interpretation questions, as well as information about the structure and historical background of biblical books, as well as a list of the different types of figures of speech used in the Bible. There is also a page giving helpful tips on how to apply the Scriptures personally.

Types of Literature in the Bible

These are a series of pages giving practical help showing how to study each of the different types of book in the Bible by appreciating the type of literature being used. These include historical narrative, law, wisdom, prophets, Gospels, Acts, letters and Revelation.

It is most important that when reading the Bible we are taking note of the type of literature we are reading. Each type needs to be considered and interpreted differently as they have different purposes.

Geography and Archaeology

These are a series of pages giving geographical and archaeological information relevant to the study of the Bible. There is a page where you can search for a particular geographical location and locate it on Google maps, as well as viewing photographs on other sites.

There are also pages with photographs from Ephesus and Corinth.

Early Church Fathers

These are a series of pages giving biographical information about some of the more significant early church fathers, such as Irenaeus, Origen and Tertullian, as well as some important groups and events in the first centuries of the church.

Artifacts in the British Museum relevant to Biblical studies

These are a series of pages describing artifacts in each gallery of the British Museum, which have a connection with the Bible.

Biblical Archaeology in Museums around the world

A page with a facility to search for artifacts held in museums around the world which have a connection with the Bible. These give information about each artifact, as well as links to the museum's collection website where available showing high resolution photographs of the artifact.

There is also page of photographs from the Israel Museum in Jerusalem of important artifacts.

Historical documents

These are a series of pages containing historical documents which give helpful information for Biblical studies. These include Hittite suzerainty treaties with a similar structure to the Book of Deuteronomy, different lists of the New Testament books and quotations from Josephus and other ancient writers.

Life Questions

These are a series of pages looking at some of the more difficult questions of Christian theology, including war, suffering, disappointment and what happens to those who have never heard the Gospel.

How to Preach

These are a series of pages giving a practical step-by-step explanation of the process of preparing a message for preaching, and how to lead a small group Bible study.

Information for SBS staff members

Two pages particularly relevant for people serving as staff on the School of Biblical Studies (SBS) in YWAM. One gives helpful instruction about how to prepare to teach on a book in the SBS. The other gives a list of recommended topics which can be taught about for each book of the Bible.