Survey of the New Testament
Offline and Online Resources
This page is designed to assist my students and any other students interested in the subject of New Testament Survey or New Testament Introduction. Prof. Kümmel explains our subject as follows: "The scholarly discipline of 'introduction to the NT' is concerned with the historical questions of the origin and collecting of the NT writings, and of the textual tradition of both the writings and the collection." (P. 28; see just below for details of his book under Print Resources)
The first section enumerates several books that could serve to introduce the subject of New Testament Introduction. Articles describing the Temple in Jerusalem are also listed. There is bibliography on the New Testament Synagogue. Then follow links to web sites that could be valuable in researching the subject of New Testament Survey.
Print Resources for New Testament Introduction
- For the Spring Semester, 2001, the textbook for the course is D.A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo, and Leon Morris, An Introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992. This book takes a no-nonsense approach to the subject and maintains a narrow focus on issues specific to the discipline of "Introduction." The presentation is fairly comprehensible, although the amount of detail can seem overwhelming to the beginning student.
- An older work with broader scope is Bruce M. Metzger, The New Testament: Its Background, Growth, and Content. New York: Abingdon Press, 1965. The work combines critical and reverent scholarship with lucid writing.
- An old classic that also takes a no-nonsense approach with narrow focus similar to the textbook is Werner G. Kümmel, Introduction to the New Testament. Revised edition. Translated by Howard C. Kee. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1975. This work offers very detailed discussion and bibliography of the subject of "Introduction."
- A stimulating work that may be too challenging for the beginner is Brevard S. Childs, The New Testament As Canon: An Introduction. Valley Forge: Trinity Press International, 1994. The history of scholarship is well summarized and evaluated and good bibliographies are provided.
For the general reader, Prof. Metzger's book is the best choice. For those who have developed some knowledge of the subject, Kümmel's work and the textbook by Carson, Moo, and Morris are packed with detailed information and bibliography. For an interesting, different, and helpful perspective, the work of Childs can be recommended to the committed student.
Bibliography on the Center of the World - The Jerusalem Temple
Here are several useful articles from the Biblical Archaeologist that provide information and illustrations of the Second Temple, the sacred shrine familiar to Jesus of Nazareth and the early Palestinian Christians. We call it the "Second Temple" because the first temple constructed by King Solomon in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar early in the sixth century B.C. The so-called Second Temple was built at the restoration in the late sixth century. Considerable improvements to the complex of the Second Temple were made by Herod the Great at the end of the first century B.C. These efforts were continued for a long time until shortly before the Temple's destruction again by the Roman forces under the leadership of Titus.
- Lawrence D. Sporty, "The Location of the Holy House of Herod’s Temple: Evidence from the Pre-Destruction Period," Biblical Archaeologist, 53/4 (Dec., 1990), 194-204. Includes artist’s sketch of complex, drawings of ground plan of complex, consideration of location in relation to Dome of Rock.
- Lawrence D. Sporty, "The Location of the Holy House of Herod’s Temple: Evidence from the Post-Destruction Period," Biblical Archaeologist, 54/1 (March, 1991), 28-35.
- Carol L. Meyers, "The Elusive Temple," Biblical Archaeologist, 45/1 (Winter, 1982), 33-41. Explains the various major phases of the Jerusalem Temple. Both the First Temple and the Second Temple stood for very long periods of time and experienced major renovation and repair operations. Numerous artists' sketches reconstructing the appearance of these Temples are included.
- Asher S. Kaufman, "The Eastern Wall of the Second Temple at Jerusalem Revealed," Biblical Archaeologist, 44/2 (1981), 108-115.
- Asher S. Kaufman, "A Note on Artistic Representations of the Second Temple of Jerusalem," Biblical Archaeologist, 47/4 (Dec., 1984), 253f.
- Jacob Milgrom, "The Temple Scroll," Biblical Archaeologist, 41/3 (Sept., 1978), 105-120. The Temple Scroll, published by Prof. Yadin, and described here by Prof. Milgrom, was composed by the Essene sectarians living by the Dead Sea at Qumran. The Scroll provides the group's views on the correct layout and operation of the Temple. Their account does not exactly match what we know of the Solomonic or Herodian Temples, but does borrow some of its ideas from the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel who also has an idealistic description of the Temple complex. Prof. Milgrom includes ground plans of what the Temple Scroll requires of the holy site.
Bibliography on Religious Town Halls - Synagogues
Our understanding of the layout, decoration, and operation of early synagogues has improved in recent years. Some online resources are cited below. Several useful print resources are listed here.
- Eric M. Meyers, "Ancient Synagogues in Galilee: Their Religious and Cultural Setting," Biblical Archaeologist, 43/2 (Spring, 1980), 97-108. Prof. Meyers focuses mostly on archaeological evidence about synagogues after the New Testament period and changes in scholarly opinion about the development of synagogue architecture. His presentation at various points is also relevant to the New Testament period. Prof. Meyers reminds us of the multiple roles of synagogues as places for prayer and worship, for study, and for community gathering. Evidence for earthquake damage to synagogues is mentioned. Ground plans and artists' reconstructions of synagogue appearance are included. There are a couple good maps. Interior decoration, especially the differences between synagogues of Lower Galilee and those of Upper Galilee, are described.
- The most important article of furniture in the synagogue was the Torah Shrine, or "Holy Ark," which housed the Torah scrolls read and studied in the synagogue. An ancient fragment of such a Torah Shrine is described by archaeologists Eric M. Meyers, James F. Strange, and Carol Meyers, "The Ark of Nabratein — A First Glance," Biblical Archaeologist, 44/4 (Fall, 1981), 237-243. This Holy Ark was important in the worship services carried out in the Nabratein synagogue during the second half of the third century A.D. This piece of furniture is not to be confused with the more ancient Holy Ark or Ark of the Covenant that sat in the First Temple built by King Solomon. The use of a Holy Ark in the synagogue called attention to the central place of the Sacred Scriptures in the prayer, study, and community gatherings that took place in Roman period synagogues in Palestine.
- A very nice, concise and readable description of synagogues in New Testament times is presented by E.P. Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus, New York: Penguin Books, 1993, pp. 98-101. This brief presentation is quite illuminating and is highly recommended.
- Some scholars have tried to drastically separate, for New Testament times, between the synagogue as a social and religious institution and the synagogue as a specific architecture. This line of argument does not seem very useful. For a fair representation of synagogues in New Testament times, see these two articles in New Testament Studies.
- Richard E. Oster, Jr., "Supposed Anachronism in Luke-Acts' Use of SYNAGOGE: A Rejoinder to H.C. Kee," 39 (1993), 178-208.
- Kenneth Atkinson, "On Further Defining the First-Century CE Synagogue: Fact or Fiction?: A Rejoinder to H.C. Kee," 43 (1997), 491-502. The author describes the main features of our earliest attested synagogue buildings at Gamla, Masada, Herodium, and Qumran. These structures all date to the time before the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple (A.D. 70).
Online Resources for New Testament Introduction
- New American Bible allows you to read this translation of the Bible online. This may be less convenient than reading the hardcopy version, but if you only need to look at a small section quickly, using this resource might be worthwhile.
- World Study Bible provides access to a couple versions of the Bible as well as resources on introductory matters, commentary, and sermonic material. Some of this is quite old (in the public domain).
- New Testament Gateway by Dr. Mark Goodacre of the University of Birmingham provides an excellent, extensive and carefully organized set of valuable links for New Testament study. Also quite well-done and useful is Prof. Goodacre's Homepage.
- In the days before the printing press, the New Testament (and Old Testament) documents were copied by hand. Many copies, some quite early, are available to us to establish the original wording of the New Testament texts. Take a look at this Catalogue of Early New Testament Manuscripts by Prof. K.C. Hanson. A source of introductory information on the subject of textual criticism, as we call the study of early copies of New Testament documents, is Encyclopedia of New Testament Textual Criticism by Robert Waltz. He acknowledges that he is not a specialist, but he covers the main points of the discipline.
- A Four-Part Harmony of the Gospels by David Wallis shows the text of the Four Gospel accounts in parallel columns. The four Gospels present the same stories and pronouncements sometimes in exactly the same words, sometimes with quite different wording. See for yourself.
- A Synoptic Gospels Primer:
Parallel Texts in Matthew, Mark and Luke by Mahlon H. Smith of
Rutgers University, provides only a partial synopsis of the parallel Gospel stories, but also gives quotations and good background information concerning early preachers of the church and concerning modern scholars in the field of textual criticism.
- The Emergence of the New Testament Canon by Daniel F. Lieuwen traces the early development of collecting the New Testament writings.
- Several good map sites are available. A broad map is sometimes offered for initial view. Clicking on the part of interest brings up an enlagement of that section.
- K.C. Hanson and Douglas E. Oakman have a nice site to supplement their book entitled Palestine in the Time of Jesus: Social Structures and Social Conflicts. They provide good links and substantive pages of information, including The Inscription of Pilate in a clear and complete presentation. This is a contemporary dedicatory inscription by the Roman prefect who ordered the execution of Jesus of Nazareth.
- Augustus: Images of Power by Mark Morford, University of Virginia, provides information on the world ruler at the birth of Jesus, with introduction to the tomb and statue of the Roman Emperor Augustus with pictures.
- Introduction to Qumran Settlement by Donald D. Binder is a very nice site explaining what we know of the desert settlement at Qumran whose inhabitants preserved their own traditions and copies of the Old Testament scriptures in the last century B.C. and first century A.D.
- Prof. Binder also includes an excellent introduction to the ancient synagogue institution in the format of a Synagogue FAQ.
- There are also pictures, plans, and explanation of the synagogue excavations at Capernaum. More information is available from the Franciscan archaeologists who excavated the Capernaum synagogues of the fourth and first centuries A.D.
Return to the Lecture Hall. Thanks for the visit! This page was edited on 1 August 2001. Email is welcomed by John R. Mitchell, Part-time Instructor in Religion. © 2000-2001 Erasmus Compositor, P.O. Box 25958, Baltimore, MD 21224. For an introduction to life at the center of the world forty centuries ago, visit an old Sumerian scribe at the Nippur Quay. You can also visit Villa Julie College.