It doesn't matter whether you believe the Bible to be fact or a fable... It remains an important reference source in the study of literature. These books should help you in your study of the Bible as literature. Read more.
1. The Harpercollins Bible Commentary
by James Luther Mays (Editor), and Joseph Blenkinsopp (Editor). HarperCollins. From the publisher: "The Commentary covers all of the Hebrew Bible, as well as the books of the Apocrypha and those of the New Testament, and thus addresses the biblical canons of Judaism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism."
2. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Bible
by Stan Campbell. Macmillan Publishing. This book covers all the basics of Biblical study. You'll find information about some of the most famous stories, along with details about customs. Also find an overview of the history of the Bible: translations, historical findings and more.
3. A History of the English Bible as Literature
by David Norton. Cambridge University Press. From the publisher: "At first jeered and and mocked as English writing, then denigrated as having 'all the disadvantages of an old prose translation,' the King James Bible somehow became 'unsurpassed in the entire range of literature.'"4. Dialogues of the Word : The Bible As Literature According to Bakhtin
by Walter L. Reed. Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "Drawing on the theory of language developed by the Soviet critic Mikhail Bakhtin, Reed argues that the historically diverse writings of the Bible have been organized according to a concept of dialogue."5. Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land through the Five Books of Moses
by Bruce S. Feiler. Morrow, William & Co. From the publisher: "One part adventure story, one part archaeological detective work, one part spiritual exploration, Walking the Bible vividly recounts an inspiring personal odyssey -- by foot, jeep, rowboat, and camel -- through the greatest stories ever told."6. The Bible as Literature: An Introduction
by John B. Gabel, Charles B. Wheeler, and Anthony D. York. Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "Avoiding assessments of the Bible's truth or authority, the authors maintain a rigorously objective tone as they discuss such majro issues as the form and strategies of biblical writing, its actual historical and physical settings, the process of canon formation," etc.7. The Oxford Bible Commentary
by John Barton (Editor), and John Muddiman (Editor). Oxford University Press. From the publisher: "Students, teachers, and general readers alike have relied on 'The Oxford Annotated Bible' for essential scholarship and guidance to the world of the Bible for four decades."8. Out of the Garden: Women Writers on the Bible
by Christina Buchmann (Editor), and Celina Spiegel (Editor). Ballantine Books. From the publisher: "As the one work that has held moral and religious sway over the Judeo-Christian tradition for thousands of years, the Bible is unsurpassed in world literature. For women, its meaning is particularly complex..." This book explores the Bible from womans' points of view, with 28 interpretations.9. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Lit.
by Walter Bauer, William Arndt, and Frederick W. Danker. University of Chicago Press. From the publisher: "In this edition, Frederick William Danker's broad knowledge of Greco-Roman literature, as well as papyri and epigraphs, provides a more panoramic view of the world of Jesus and the New Testament. Danker also uses more consistent reference citations..."10. Hermeneutics: Principles and Processes of Biblical Interpretation
by Henry A. Virkler. Baker Books. From the publisher: "The primary goal of many hermeneutics texts available today is the elucidation of proper principles of biblical interpretation. Hermeneutics, in contrast, translates hermeneutical theory into five practical steps that can be used to interpret all genre of Scripture."