Introduction to the O.T.

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Timobe

Puritan Board Freshman
Hi everyone !

What is the "best" book of Introduction to the O.T. of these last years ?

Because our teacher of Old Testament especially like the one of Gleason Archer (translated in French... The translation in our language is one of the reason of his choice but my english is strong enough to read an introduction in english though i would prefer one in french). Archer's one is, indeed, a great introduction.

I would really like to read answers, here, from teachers, theologians,... from universities if there are any ! :up:

Edit : we also have, translated in french, the introduction to the Old Testament of Longman Tremper & Dillard Raymond. But i don't know what is the quality of this work.
 
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There's one by Walton. He and Dillard/Longman are modern and from what I hear there really is no difference between what they produce and what the liberal fellows at Fuller would produce.
There is another by EJ Young, another by Coppes.
 
Thanks arap, i didn't know that Dillard was a bit liberal... Ah these days, we need more orthodoxes scholars like Archer !
 
I don't see any need to worry about the Dillard/Longman book. They interact with liberal views because they want to address those, but that's appropriate for a scholarly work. Dillard was a fine scholar and godly teacher with a simple way of stating things that makes his writings of great benefit. It also happens that he delivered one of the most stirring sermons I ever had the benefit of hearing in person... so I have a soft spot for the man.
 
Less thorough than Archer, which I liked, is Alec Motyer's The Story of the Old Testament; though brief, it is very informative.
 
A unique supplemental volume is Mark Dever's collection of overview sermons through the OT entitled "The Message of the OT: Promises Made." It's by no means sufficient to serve as a standalone OT intro text, but it is an insightful and helpful supporting volume.

We used Hill & Walton's "Survey of the OT" at SBTS...it's been a while since I read that volume extensively, but I don't recall any significant red flags from it. But a lot of water has passed under my bridge since then, though, so I am happy to be corrected if my recollection is in error.

I've heard very good things about the Dillard/Longman survey and hope to acquire it soon.
 
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