The Essential Bible: A Short Introduction to the Major Stories, 2nd edition

Bradley Jenson & Jill Jenson

2005, 114 pages, paper, $15.95 U.S. ISBN 0-9767180-0-6.

The Essential Bible is a readable, easy-to-understand summary of all the major stories in both the Old and New Testaments. Not a storybook, the text fills a void for teachers in various educational situations. Pastors; seminary professors; Bible study, confirmation, and Sunday School teachers; and parents will find this an invaluable tool for teaching about the most important people and events in the scriptures.

It is also a concise, affordable supplement for literature courses that require students to recognize the many Biblical references in some of our culture’s greatest pieces of writing.

Most importantly, The Essential Bible was written for anyone seeking to understand the Bible for the first time. The text provides chapter and verse references for each story as well as explanatory notes for difficult passages. Helpful supplementary pieces are found in the appendix. 

The Beginning
The Founding of Israel
The Exodus and Conquest of Canaan
The Time of the Judges
The Kingdom of Israel and Its Division
The Babylonian Captivity and Return
Other Key Sections of the Old Testament
Books of the Old Testament
Old Testament Timeline

Between the Testaments

The New Testament:

The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John)
The Apostles
The Letters
The Revelation to John
Books of the New Testament
New Testament Timeline