A Catholic Guide to the Old Testament

Illuminate your understanding of the Old Testament with introductions and context for each of its 46 books.

The Old Testament makes up over half of the Bible and spans the vast majority of Scripture’s historical timeline, yet the ancient culture in which it was written and the unspoken context of its books mean that much of its wisdom can be difficult for readers to understand.

Now Catholics can be invigorated in the study of Scripture, connect with the story of God’s Chosen People, and uncover new meaning in the Old Testament’s narrative with A Catholic Guide to the Old Testament.

This comprehensive yet accessible introduction to the Old Testament seeks to unveil the mysteries of divine revelation contained in the Old Testament and unlock the hidden details of this God-given text. It helps Catholics become better acquainted with each book’s human author, main characters, and important points in order to transform their understanding of the “big picture” of Scripture and its meaning for their lives.

Written by 4 highly regarded biblical scholars, this guide to the Old Testament contains:

• 46 introductions to each of the Old Testament’s books, including
  • the book’s relationship to the New Testament and Catholic Tradition,
  • its significance to the greater story of salvation,
  • who wrote it and when,
  • major characters, key events, and themes,
  • and more!
• Over a dozen full-color charts outlining major feasts, kings and prophets, covenants, genealogies, and more.
• 15 full-color maps depicting the journeys of Abraham, desert wanderings of the Israelites, major kingdoms and empires, and more.
• Over 20 articles on the topics of geography, laws, sacrifice, literature, the canon of Scripture, archaeology and the accuracy of the biblical narrative, and more.
• The Bible Timeline® color coding—the same system used in the chart-topping podcast The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)™ featuring Jeff Cavins.

With this Catholic guide, readers will no longer wonder how each of the Old Testament’s books contributes to the narrative of Scripture or struggle to understand its main characters, historical context, and literary forms.

The only introduction to the Old Testament based on The Bible Timeline Learning System, A Catholic Guide to the Old Testament is the perfect companion to The Great Adventure Catholic Bible and the various studies of The Great Adventure® Bible Study program.

I know no other book like this. It gives a clear, complete, precise account of salvation history. It is based on solid scholarship. And yet it never bogs down, never loses the drama of the narrative. The authors succeed because they never lose sight of Christ, who is the fulfillment of the Old Testament and the key to its interpretation. A Catholic Guide will make you want to study, want to learn, and then want to teach others: family members, friends, and fellow parishioners. You’ll find no better guide for this purpose. I plan to use it in my Old Testament courses. Highly recommended.

—Dr. Scott Hahn, The Father Michael Scanlan TOR Professor of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville and President of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

This introduction to the Old Testament achieves the rare feat of being deeply informative yet eminently readable. Catholics previously intimidated or confused by the Bible will find that it makes God’s Word readily accessible for the first time, and it makes the ideal companion to The Great Adventure Catholic Bible.

—Dr. Matthew Ramage, Catholic author, biblical scholar, and professor of theology at Benedictine College