Bible History Made Simple

by James E. Smith

Publisher:

College Press

, 2009

Overview

"Oh no, not history!"—Many people have these thoughts when it comes to the study of history. Bible history is no different. But history is really a collection of stories about people. And Bible history is a collection of stories about God's interaction with people. What could be more fascinating than the Maker of the universe reaching down into the lives of His creation?

James E. Smith gives us an overview of Bible history that allows us to see the powerful hand of God as he moves his world through his plan to save us. We get to put in order all the stories from the most important book ever written. What makes this book so groundbreaking is that Smith has an amazing ability to break down complex thoughts into concepts that are easy to follow. He uses mnemonic devices, charts, drawings, and more to truly bring us Bible History Made Simple. It is a great resource for those who are new to the Bible, as well as those looking for an overview to tie it all together.

Contents

Top Highlights

“History is that branch of knowledge that records and explains the past. Bible history is the recitation and interpretation of the past that is recorded in the Bible.” (Page 9)

“These books fall into one of two main divisions called testaments. The word testament means covenant or agreement. The older of the testaments contains the books that were written at least four hundred years before the birth of Christ. These books constitute the Jewish Scriptures to this day.” (Pages 10–11)

“For example, many scholars think the earliest book of the Old Testament is Job” (Page 11)

“I have identified seventeen periods of biblical history.” (Page 7)

“The Scripture source for the Conquest Period is the Book of Joshua and seven chapters in the Book of Judges (chs 1–2; 17–21), a total of 28 chapters. For the first time in our study we encounter the problem that not all the history in the Bible is arranged in chronological order.” (Page 61)

Product Details

• Title: Bible History Made Simple
• Author: James E. Smith
• Publisher: College Press
• Publication Date: 2007
• Pages: 180

About James E. Smith

Biblical scholar James E. Smith is chairman of the Division of Biblical Studies at Florida Christian College. He received his undergraduate and seminary training at Cincinnati Bible Seminary and earned a PhD at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Dr. Smith Has served congregations in Ohio and Kentucky. For 13 years he was professor of Old Testament at Cincinnati Bible Seminary.