Fans pick 100 books like The Old Testament

By Victor H. Matthews, James C. Moyer,

Here are 100 books that The Old Testament fans have personally recommended if you like The Old Testament. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Jewish War

Lena Einhorn Author Of A Shift in Time: How Historical Documents Reveal the Surprising Truth about Jesus

From my list on ancient religious texts and actual history.

Why am I passionate about this?

Lena Einhorn is a writer and filmmaker, with a background in medicine. She has portrayed Greta Garbo’s life before the breakthrough, in the novel Blekinge Street 32, and in Nina’s Journey, she told the story of her mother, one of the last to leave the Warsaw ghetto alive. Nina’s Journey also became a feature film, written and directed by Einhorn. The book received the National Book Award of Sweden, and the film received the National Film Award for best picture and best script, as well as a number of international awards. In 2019 the critically acclaimed autobiographical novel The Thin Ice came out.

Lena's book list on ancient religious texts and actual history

Lena Einhorn Why did Lena love this book?

This is the parallel companion book to the New Testament, for anyone who wants to try to discern "the true story behind the religious text." And it is also the biggest impediment to all historians and biblical scholars who have attempted to portray Jesus and his disciples as historical individuals. He simply does not seem to be there (if one excepts the paragraph "Testimonium Flavianum", which has been added or amended by later scribes). But perhaps he does... If one looks slightly beneath the surface....

By Flavius Josephus,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Jewish War as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Josephus' account of a war marked by treachery and atrocity is a superbly detailed and evocative record of the Jewish rebellion against Rome between AD 66 and 70. Originally a rebel leader, Josephus changed sides after he was captured to become a Rome-appointed negotiator, and so was uniquely placed to observe these turbulent events, from the siege of Jerusalem to the final heroic resistance and mass suicides at Masada. His account provides much of what we know about the history of the Jews under Roman rule, with vivid portraits of such key figures as the Emperor Vespasian and Herod the…


Book cover of The New Testament

Lena Einhorn Author Of A Shift in Time: How Historical Documents Reveal the Surprising Truth about Jesus

From my list on ancient religious texts and actual history.

Why am I passionate about this?

Lena Einhorn is a writer and filmmaker, with a background in medicine. She has portrayed Greta Garbo’s life before the breakthrough, in the novel Blekinge Street 32, and in Nina’s Journey, she told the story of her mother, one of the last to leave the Warsaw ghetto alive. Nina’s Journey also became a feature film, written and directed by Einhorn. The book received the National Book Award of Sweden, and the film received the National Film Award for best picture and best script, as well as a number of international awards. In 2019 the critically acclaimed autobiographical novel The Thin Ice came out.

Lena's book list on ancient religious texts and actual history

Lena Einhorn Why did Lena love this book?

The New Testament has been portrayed as a repetitive and largely ahistorical text, except for the presence of the names of certain individuals (Emperors Augustus and Tiberius, Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate, Jewish King Herod the Great, etc, etc). Otherwise, very little fits with known history of first-century Juda and Galilee. But when one reads this religious narrative, The New Testament, next to the narratives of Josephus—written around the same time—one starts discerning certain recurring patterns. And after a while one realizes that The New Testament is anything but boring. It is actually a fantastic text, skillfully written in layers, where the historical layer lies just beneath the surface. The New Testament is full of incomprehensible elements—unknown names just thrown into the narrative, seeming contradictions, etc—but it is in these strange elements that the clues lie. One needs, however, to have Josephus' historical texts (The Jewish War and Jewish Antiquities)…

By David Bentley Hart (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The New Testament as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From one of our most celebrated writers on religion, a fresh, bold, and unsettling new translation of the New Testament

"The greatest achievement of Hart's translation is to restore the urgency of the original. . . . It is beautiful."-James Mumford, Standpoint

"This translation is a remarkable feat."-Lucy Beckett, Times Literary Supplement

David Bentley Hart undertook this new translation of the New Testament in the spirit of "etsi doctrina non daretur," "as if doctrine is not given." Reproducing the texts' often fragmentary formulations without augmentation or correction, he has produced a pitilessly literal translation, one that captures the texts' impenetrability…


Book cover of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

Armin Shimerman Author Of Imbalance of Power

From my list on Shakespeare and the Elizabethan period.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a classically trained Shakespearian actor who has spent a lifetime researching Tudor and Stuart times, imbibing their language, customs, and idiosyncrasies. As an actor, I'm trained to get inside my characters' heads and dedicate myself to their intentions. Also, as an actor, I've come to relish language and recognize what makes a good phrase, paragraph, and/or book. I not only perform the Bard, but I've also taught his rhetorical stylings to countless people. I love language and admire writers who use it elegantly. They say, "Write what you know." I know Shakespeare and the Elizabethan era inside and out. One's life can be changed by a book; the ones I've recommended have changed mine.

Armin's book list on Shakespeare and the Elizabethan period

Armin Shimerman Why did Armin love this book?

Every time I wade into a play or see a production, I discover the language that describes the human condition perfectly. Pithy moments of insight juxtaposed and embedded in meaningful testimonies of why we do the things we do. As a writer, I believe there is no better teacher of the magic of the English language.

By William Shakespeare,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Complete Works of William Shakespeare as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This ebook contains Shakespeare's complete plays and complete poems in a new, easy-to-read and easy-to-navigate format. This is the most reader-friendly introduction to Shakespeare available today. 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare' collects all thirty-seven of the immortal Bard's comedies, tragedies, and historical plays in a Collectible Edition. This volume also features Shakespeare's complete poetry, including the sonnets. With this beautiful Collectible Edition, you can enjoy Shakespeare's enduring literary legacy again and again.


Book cover of "Shakespeare" Identified in Edward De Vere, the Seventeenth Earl of Oxford

Lena Einhorn Author Of A Shift in Time: How Historical Documents Reveal the Surprising Truth about Jesus

From my list on ancient religious texts and actual history.

Why am I passionate about this?

Lena Einhorn is a writer and filmmaker, with a background in medicine. She has portrayed Greta Garbo’s life before the breakthrough, in the novel Blekinge Street 32, and in Nina’s Journey, she told the story of her mother, one of the last to leave the Warsaw ghetto alive. Nina’s Journey also became a feature film, written and directed by Einhorn. The book received the National Book Award of Sweden, and the film received the National Film Award for best picture and best script, as well as a number of international awards. In 2019 the critically acclaimed autobiographical novel The Thin Ice came out.

Lena's book list on ancient religious texts and actual history

Lena Einhorn Why did Lena love this book?

This is one of the many books that have delved into the old question of who William Shakespeare really was. And it is one of the more clever ones, drawing clear parallels between Shakespeare's texts, on the one hand, and the travels, experiences, opinions, and facilities of the main suspect, the Earl of Oxford, on the other. Looney’s book was the first one to propose and present exhaustive evidence that the Earl of Oxford was the sole author of all of Shakespeare’s works – a hypothesis that is now dominant among those who doubt the role of the relatively uneducated and untravelled “Stratford-man”.

By J. Thomas Looney,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked "Shakespeare" Identified in Edward De Vere, the Seventeenth Earl of Oxford as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Excerpt from "Shakespeare" Identified in Edward De Vere, the Seventeenth Earl of Oxford (Classic Reprint)

About the Publisher

Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books.

This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to…


Book cover of Taking the Guesswork Out of Applying the Bible

Craig L. Blomberg Author Of Making Sense of the New Testament

From my list on making sense of the New Testament.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have just retired after teaching 35 years in the New Testament department at Denver Seminary. I have authored, co-authored, or co-edited thirty books related to New Testament studies and more than 150 peer-reviewed journal articles or chapters in multi-author books. I have learned that most of the reasons people don’t believe in part or all of the Bible is because they don’t understand it properly, so my passion is to try to rectify that. The New Testament changed my life for the better, as it has hundreds of millions of other people. I just want to help that number continue to grow.

Craig's book list on making sense of the New Testament

Craig L. Blomberg Why did Craig love this book?

The most practical book I’ve ever encountered for applying the Old Testament in the New Testament age and for dealing with culturally foreign parts of the New Testament as well. Outlines a process for extracting timeless principles from culture-specific passages and then finding equally concrete contemporary applications, even if we might not literally ‘greet one another with a holy kiss’! Jack was an editor with three major Christian publishers, a personal encouragement when I was writing my commentary on 1 Corinthians and his approach was the most influential resource I had when I was writing on application for my co-authored Introduction to Biblical Interpretation.

By Jack Kuhatschek,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Taking the Guesswork Out of Applying the Bible as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New Softbound--Never Read


Book cover of Promised Land, Crusader State: The American Encounter with the World Since 1776

Anna Simons Author Of The Sovereignty Solution: A Common Sense Approach to Global Security

From my list on understand why our foreign policy fails often.

Why am I passionate about this?

I became an anthropologist by accident. I never liked school, but I loved to travel, and I got a PhD so that I could rail against development and the perils of cross-cultural misunderstanding in print. Naively, I thought maybe someone would listen. Luckily for me, I discovered I also liked teaching. I first taught at UCLA and then at the Naval Postgraduate School, where I had mostly mid-career U.S. and international special operations officers in class. More serendipity: my two decades at the Naval Postgraduate School bracketed the Global War on Terror, which unfortunately proved to be a witch’s brew of cross-cultural misunderstanding.  

Anna's book list on understand why our foreign policy fails often

Anna Simons Why did Anna love this book?

This book boasts the world’s greatest title. With just four words, McDougall’s title describes our trajectory as a country. We started as a beacon and example to others, only to (d)evolve into trying to get others to become more like us. In one sense, our impulse to convert others is laudable; it’s admirable that we want everyone to benefit from capitalism and democracy as much as we do.

But what happens when our values, beliefs, and practices don’t suit others? McDougall does an unparalleled job of revealing the costs to them and to us.   

By Walter McDougall,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Promised Land, Crusader State as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Walter McDougall reinterprets the traditions that have shaped U.S. foreign policy from 1776 to the present in "an entertaining and iconoclastic fashion" (Philadelphia Inquirer).

In a concise analysis, McDougall divides American diplomatic history into two stages, which he calls "Old Testament" and "New Testament" phases.

The "Old Testament" phase, which ran from the Revolution to the 1890s, centered on protecting and perfecting America within. The "New Testament" phase, from the Spanish-American War to the present, is more interventionist, featuring competing ideals of containment, expansion, and meliorism. Within the "testament" phases, McDougall goes on to further categorize eight…


Book cover of The Emmaus Code: Finding Jesus in the Old Testament

John Pasquet Author Of The Essence: A Guided Journey of Discovery through the Bible

From my list on helping you truly understand the Bible from beginning to end.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m passionate about helping people see the incredible beauty of God’s unfolding plan of redemption and restoration that unfolds in the pages of the Bible. In the Old Testament, this plan is hidden in mystery and symbolism. But then in the New Testament, this great mystery is unveiled in all its glory, and the symbolism emerges from the shadows and steps into the light! For the past 15+ years, it has been my great honor to read the Bible with people for their very first time and help them watch this great mystery unfold. These books do that very same thing!

John's book list on helping you truly understand the Bible from beginning to end

John Pasquet Why did John love this book?

I enjoyed this book because it was such an exhaustive look at how Jesus is foreshadowed in symbols, types, and prophecies in the Old Testament. No stone is left unturned as he shows how “all roads lead to Christ” and how Christ is revealed in every single book in the Old Testament.

It is very intriguing, well-researched, presented very logically, and contains many great insights. It is not, however, a quick read, but more academic in its presentation.

I recommend this book for people who are already pretty familiar with the Scriptures and want to deepen their knowledge of the Bible, particularly of the Old Testament.

By David Limbaugh,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Emmaus Code as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A New York Times Bestseller!

In the 2014 New York Times bestseller Jesus on Trial, David Limbaugh made a case for the Gospels as hard evidence of the existence of God, drawing on his own spiritual journey from skeptic to believer. Now, in The Emmaus Code, Limbaugh unlocks the mysteries of the Old Testament and reveals hints of Jesus Christ's arrival through all thirty-nine Old Testament books.

The key to the secrets of the Old Testament, Limbaugh argues, is the crucial New Testament encounter between the risen Jesus and two travelers on the road to Emmaus. With that key, and…


Book cover of The Book of Revelation (New International Greek Testament Commentary)

Jonathan Menn Author Of Biblical Eschatology, Second Edition

From my list on Biblical eschatology that are understandable and not nuts.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the director of Equipping Church Leaders-East Africa. East African church leaders (and most Christians everywhere) are interested in eschatology (the study of the “last things”). I have been fascinated by this subject for decades, particularly since I attended a church that took eschatology seriously. After a time, however, I realized that something was amiss in that pastor’s understanding of eschatology. That motivated me to study eschatology on my own and begin compiling an extensive library on the subject. While pursuing my M.Div. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, I wrote two major papers on the subject and now have written the most comprehensive synthesis on biblical eschatology currently available.

Jonathan's book list on Biblical eschatology that are understandable and not nuts

Jonathan Menn Why did Jonathan love this book?

G. K. Beale, now at Reformed Theological Seminary in Dallas, TX, is probably the premier authority on the book of Revelation. His massive The Book of Revelation (NIGTC) is over 1100 pages long and, I believe, is without question the most scholarly and detailed treatment of Revelation currently available. Anyone who is seriously interested in the book of Revelation needs to interact with this book. Beale’s treatment of Revelation is enhanced by his deep understanding of the Old Testament (he is co-editor, with D. A. Carson, of Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament). In short, serious students of Revelation should get this book. Its depth of detail will be worth it and will lead the reader to see biblical connections not previously imagined. 

By G. K. Beale,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Book of Revelation (New International Greek Testament Commentary) as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This commentary series is established on the presupposition that the theological character of the New Testament documents calls for exegesis that is sensitive to theological themes as well as to the details of the historical, linguistic, and textual context. Such thorough exegetical work lies at the heart of these volumes, which contain detailed verse-by-verse commentary preceded by general comments on each section and subsection of the text.

An important aim of the NIGTC authors is to interact with the wealth of significant New Testament research published in recent articles and monographs. In this connection the authors make their own scholarly…


Book cover of Amplified Holy Bible

Roxane Lapa Author Of Answering The Atheist: Good Questions Deserve Straight Answers

From my list on Christian apologetics.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been a Christian for 30+ years, and have had many questions about the Bible and theology. In order to answer my own questions, I’ve consumed scores of apologetics books, articles, videos, and podcasts, as well as studied the Bible itself, with lexicons and commentaries.

Roxane's book list on Christian apologetics

Roxane Lapa Why did Roxane love this book?

The AMP (Amplified Bible) is a word-for-word translation with additional information in brackets to help clarify the meaning of ambiguous words and difficult passages. This is also an incredibly useful study Bible, and is more convenient than cross-referencing Strong’s numbers.

By Zondervan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Amplified Holy Bible as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Updated edition is even easier to read and better than ever to study and understand

You've trusted the Amplified (R) Bible to deliver enhanced understanding of all the rich nuances and shades of meaning of the original Bible languages. For this kind of in-depth study, no working knowledge of Greek or Hebrew is required-just a desire to know more about what God says in his Word. Amplified Bibles use a unique system of punctuation, italics, references, and synonyms to unlock subtle shades of meaning as found in the original languages.

This updated Amplified Bible includes more amplification in the Old…


Book cover of The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name

Ashley DeMarcos Author Of Fruitful Friday

From my list on children’s book to teach Christian morals.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a child of God, an heir to the throne through Jesus Christ, and a living testimony to the great I Am. I have 4 children who keep me young. I have been with my spouse for 20 years (married for 10). I run a Facebook page called “Jesus Loves All of Us,” where I share daily devotionals. I opened a publishing company called Stewardship Press a few years ago, which is linked to this page. I have written over 20 books, journals, coloring books, and devotionals, most of which are Christ-centered. The others that do not have Christian content are still morally and ethically upstanding secular content.

Ashley's book list on children’s book to teach Christian morals

Ashley DeMarcos Why did Ashley love this book?

One of the greatest parts about this book is the illustrations! Yes, the story is fabulous, too, especially because it's a child version of the Bible stories, but man, the illustrations just send it over the top.

The Bible is too difficult for young readers to comprehend, but this book does such a great job of making the stories understandable for little guys that when my kids and I read it, we all come away with a childlike understanding of the original Bible stories.

By Sally Lloyd-Jones, Jago (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Jesus Storybook Bible as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

If you are a parent, grandparent, pastor, or teacher looking for a way to teach the children in your life about God's "Never Stopping, Never Giving up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love," look no further than The Jesus Storybook Bible.

What makes The Jesus Storybook Bible different from every other Kids' Bible?

While other Kids' Bibles contain stories from the Old and New Testaments, The Jesus Storybook Bible tells the Story beneath all the stories in the Bible, pointing to Jesus as our Savior. From the Old Testament through the New Testament, as the Story unfolds, children will clearly see…


Book cover of The Jewish War
Book cover of The New Testament
Book cover of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

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