A Must Have Study Bible - Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

I think a translation study bible is critical in any serious student of the Bible’s library. They are like an abbreviated bible college and cover so much territory. But I believe this study bible is groundbreaking and has by far been the most useful for me. I can’t say enough about it and five minutes simply will not get it done. What makes Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible from ‪@zondervan‬ so special is that instead of offering verse by verse and topical/theological/doctrinal explanations, this one has a completely different yet very important goal. It takes you back to the times, places, and people that the Hebrews, and eventually Israel, and even the church encountered. It pulls in sacred texts from not only the biblical record, but fringe groups in Israel, Mesopotamian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Ugaritic, and beyond. What you get is a framework of what the world was like during the times the Bible was being written. It gives you context of why God gave the instructions he gave, why the people of Israel were so enticed by the gods of other nations, and how ancient religion was formed. It shows to the commonality among religions of the world and shows you how the all point to a singular source, the God of the Bible. While this isn’t the most complete study bible (a translation study bible fills that need), it is what I believe to be the most important study bible of our time. I cannot recommend this enough. To make it even better it is offered in three translations, NIV, NKJV, and the NRSV. This means it can reach a wider audience from those who love literal translations, and those who prefer one that is a little more dynamic. It is also very affordable, as if this post (subject to change) you can find it for as little as $32.99 depending on your translation choice. Link below (affiliate) for purchase. NKJV: https://amzn.to/3eu9Rec NIV: https://amzn.to/3Jiq0S6 NRSV: https://amzn.to/32Fetv7