Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Hebrew Bible

this is prob the easies book to read. its not going to make you a scholar on all the detailed aspects of the bible, but it will definitely teach you about the main aspects and each book

I used this book as a primary textbook in two classes: one on the Hebrew prophets, the other a general survey of the Old Testament. I found the book to be quite readable and even enjoyable, in spots. Most of my fellow classmates grumbled about reading this book. They complained that it was boring and lengthy. However, if you have no knowledge of the OT, this book will certainly illuminate the intricacies of the Hebrew Bible. Bandstra manages to maintain a good degree of neutrality with his writing, a process that is not easy to do when writing about the Bible. There is a CD included with the book that has maps, tons of texts and other helpful information that supplements the text. If you are assigned this book for your class, don't worry. You could do much worse.

Bandstra focusses on the story line of the Hebrew Bible and does an admirable job of integrating historical and literary studies. A student reading this book will have a clear grasp of both the biblical story of Israel's history and the work of modern scholars on the subject. Bandstra writes with a sensitivity to the faith stance of the biblical writers yet does not shy away from critical issues which challenge a facile reading of the biblical texts. He introduces critical biblical scholarship as it becomes relevant to understanding those texts. Students will learn the content of the Hebrew Bible as well as scholarly methods for interpreting biblical texts.The CD included with the book is extremely helpful. It includes the entire text of the book, the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (with links between the two at relevant points), and a wealth of learning aids for students.