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BCM 101: Introduction to the Old Testament

Woman looks at a computer on top of a short shelf of reference books

Reference Room

Concordance

Use concordances to find:

1. All locations of a word in the Bible.

2. The original Greek or Hebrew translation of a word.

Want to find more about the original translation? Use a Lexicon.

Lexicons

Use a lexicon to look up detailed translations of a word from Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic.

Need more information about the verse that you found? Use a commentary.

Commentaries

Use commentaries to read different interpretations on specific verses & passages.

Do you want more detailed commentary? Use the ATLA database.

ATLA Database

Use the "Scripture" tab to find scholarly articles on specific passages.

Does the commentary mention a specific location you want to explore? Use an atlas.

Atlas

Use atlases to see maps and learn more about the geography of the biblical world.

Do you want more detailed information about the people, places, culture, etc. mentioned in the commentary? Use dictionaries and encyclopedias.

Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

Use general dictionaries & encyclopedias for more information, or subject-specific ones on medicine, archaeology, etc. to get detailed information.

How to use the biblical research resources infographic

students reading in front of periodical display

Also known as peer-reviewed articles, scholarly articles are sources that are:

  • written by experts in the field
  • reviewed by other experts in the field (hence the peer-reviewed)
  • intended for an academic audience

While you can find scholarly articles through general search engines, databases contain a feature where you can narrow your results to only scholarly articles.

Find Subject-Specific Articles:

Find Articles in Multidisciplinary Databases:

Student thumbing through a book in front of library stacks

Books and eBooks often provide a broader overview and cover more information than a scholarly journal article.

You don't need to read an entire book to use it in your research. Use the index at the back of a book to find the information you need.

To find books and eBooks, you can either:

  • Search the NOBLE catalog
  • Browse the stacks for a book related to your topic

BS701-1830 Old Testament

  • BS705-815 Early versions
  • BS825-1013 Modern texts and versions
  • BS1091-1099 Selections. Quotations
  • BS1110-1199 Works about the Old Testament
  • BS1160-1191.5 Criticism and interpretation
  • BS1200-1830 Special parts of the Old Testament

If you find an article or book that you can't access, don't pay for it! Instead, submit an Interlibrary Loan request, and you'll receive articles within a few days!

Are you looking for a specific article, like an article that you found referenced in a bibliography? Search for the journal in Journal Finder, linked below:

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