When I decided to start this blog series about books recommended by JPS authors, I knew from the get-go that I wanted these lists to serve as guides for our readers.  After all, what better way to explore a topic of interest than under the guidance of a well-versed scholar and writer?

Well, Dr. Michael Carasik has really stepped up to the plate in that regard.  To give you some background, Carasik is the author and translator of The Commentator’s Bible: Exodus, and of the upcoming The Commentator’s Bible: Leviticus. He received his PhD in Bible and the Ancient Near East at Brandeis University, and currently teaches Biblical Hebrew at the University of Pennsylvania and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.  (And, by the way, Michael Carasik is totally wired.  He has a podcast called Torah Talk – which is also available through the iTunes store- , he Twitters, and he even has a blog, where he will soon write about his list of recommended books in more detail!  He’s already posted a review of the Jewish Study Bible, so if you’re interested in his follow-up comments about these books, definitely keep an eye on his blog.)

I originally approached Dr. Carasik about recommending a list of books that would introduce the everyday reader to the field of Bible Studies.  And did he ever!  Below, you’ll find his incredibly helpful annotated guide to exploring the field.  If, like me, you’re interested in Bible, but have almost zero scholarly knowledge, you’ll find that these books – especially if read in the recommended order – can really open up what might otherwise be an overwhelming subject.  But really, Bible Studies is fun and fascinating, and now you can explore it for yourself!

Michael Carasik’s “Bible Studies for Everyone—Ten Books You’ll Want to Read”

1. The Jewish Study Bible edited by Adele Berlin and Marc Brettler [“Yes, the first book to read is the Bible itself.”]
2. Who Wrote the Bible? by Richard Elliott Friedman ["Next, an introduction to the way scholars look behind the text to understand how it came to be written.”]
3. Sinai and Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible by Jon Levenson [“The two complementary—and sometimes conflicting—traditions that shaped the Bible and continue to shape Judaism.”]
4. How to Read the Bible by Marc Brettler [“A comprehensive guide to understanding the biblical books in their original contexts.”]
5. How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now by James Kugel [“And, for a responsible opposing viewpoint, a book that combines Brettler’s approach with a further look at how the books were interpreted once they became ‘the Bible.’”]
6. A History of Ancient Israel and Judah by J. Maxwell Miller & John H. Hayes (2^nd ed.) [“A solid and balanced overview of this surprisingly controversial topic.”]
7. The Art Of Biblical Narrative by Robert Alter [“An introduction to reading biblical texts as literature.”]
8. The Dynamics of Biblical Parallelism by Adele Berlin [“An introduction to the basic element of biblical poetry.”]
9. The Book of Job by Raymond Scheindlin [“And now, it’s time once again to begin reading and studying a biblical book.”]
10.A Grammar for Biblical Hebrew by C. L. Seow (2^nd ed.) [“Did I mention that to really appreciate the Bible you must read it in Hebrew?  It’s never too late to start!”]

-Naomi