The Reading Guide¶

Who is this reading guide for?¶

This section of the site is aimed especially at those who are really new to the Bible, or are confused by it. Start here if you have little or no familiarity with the Bible at all, or perhaps you've read some of it in the past but now you want to take a fresh look at it.

We'll get into the biblical text as soon as possible, starting with the Kings and Prophets in the Old Testament. First I hope you will take a few moments to look through these introductory notes, which are about the Bible as a whole. Even if you've never read any of it yourself, no doubt you will have heard something about it.

But you may be surprised to find what is and what isn't inside the pages of the Bible. It is not a law-book, although it does contain many laws. It is not a history book, although it does contain historical facts. It is primarily a book of stories, and stories which centre around human struggles in a world dominated by a divine being.

How to use the guide¶

We will read these stories together. I encourage you to read the Bible text (your chosen reading version) in conjunction with this guide. Along the way we will find out about the way it is written, and some special features which can make it a little difficult for beginners.

Before that, in the introduction, I'll give you some background information and take an overview of what is where and how each part relates to the whole. Then we will dive in and start reading it in detail.

As we go along I will have to introduce some specialised jargon. because it helps to talk about the issues with the right vocabulary. If you go on to read more about the Bible, you will find that familiarity with this lingo is helpful and enables precise communication, as in any specialist field.

Note that this guide is not setting out to be an exhaustive commentary or a substitute for works by biblical scholars. I'm really aiming to help you find your way into the biblical narrative, with explanations that you will find helpful elsewhere if you read more of the Bible.

The Bible is not a book¶

Understanding the anthology¶

The first thing to understand is that the Bible isn't a single book, it is an anthology. Sometimes it has been called a 'library'. It started as a collection of scrolls, each with its own editorial history. They are by many different authors, probably written at different times, and the result is a collection of works, in several genres and varying in quality.

These component books have been sorted, some into a narrative sequence, and others by category. Some are prose stories, some are poems and songs, there are genealogies, law-codes, visions and personal letters. They all fit together in a rather complex manner, and they constantly cross-reference each other.

You shouldn’t feel that you absolutely have to read all of them. You may be more interested in some parts than others. Read whatever you want, however you want. Explore. This guide aims to help you do that.

But first, we must consider an even more basic question – which Bible?

Which Bible?¶

Isn’t it just The Bible?¶

Although I am trying to keep things simple, even here we can’t avoid a little complication! For a start, the collection widely known as the Old Testament was originally, and still is, the Jewish scripture and may stand alone. When Christianity came along, extra writings were added, which are now known as the New Testament.

The Christian Bible consists of both Old and New Testaments, and its contents page will list all the works in the anthology. Each one of these is called a book, although some are no longer than a short story. But which books are included?

In recent times, at least in the English-speaking world, the most widespread form of the Bible contains a total of 66 books – 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. This collection is known as the Protestant Canon. It is the Bible you are most likely to encounter.

However, in some Bibles (often in the Catholic tradition), you will find extra Old Testament books, and in the past there was even more variation in the contents of Bibles. This is a complicated area, and if you want you can read more under the topic All the Bibles about the different canonical collections and other books which lie beyond their boundaries.

But don’t worry about it if you just want to get on. To begin with we will restrict ourselves to the strict definition of the canon.

Translations¶

The next step is to consider translation. Unless you understand the ancient Hebrew and Greek languages in which the Bible was written (in which case, you probably don't need this guide), you will be reading a version translated into English or the modern language of your choice.

There is now an enormous and perhaps confusing range of different translations available, known for technical reasons as versions. The topic of Bible translation is interesting, and rather controversial, but I do not want it to detain us here.

If you are just setting out, it doesn’t much matter which translation you use. You may be surprised I should say this, and if you want to know more detail then there is a fuller article going into some of the intricacies of Bible translations.

In order to focus this reading guide on one definite text, I will be following the World English Bible (WEB), Classic Edition, which is available freely online in several locations, and can also be obtained in print.

Your reading version¶

Read the Bible you have or any version that suits you.

My advice would be to choose one in contemporary and not archaic language, that you find readable. You could use any of the widespread versions used by a mainstream denomination, or available on one of the major online Bible sites, or check out some suggestions here.

To follow the exact same text as me then you might choose to use the WEB as your reading version. When I quote from the Bible, unless otherwise stated, this is the one I will be using. From time to time, I will also be calling attention to other translations, but only where it seems to make a significant difference.

Once you have selected a reading version for yourself, whether a physical copy or a digital version, you should read it along with this guide.