The Old Testament covers the time period from the creation of the world to about 500 years before the start of the New Testament. It includes the writings of inspired ancient prophets, and is often divided into three sections: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. This article includes historical and theological insights from Latter-day Saint and secular scholars, primarily drawn from From the Desk interviews.
The Song of Solomon in the Old Testament (also called the Song of Songs) has a controversial history. Its sensual themes have been interpreted as both scriptural pornography and inspired allegory by Latter-day Saint leaders. In this interview, BYU’s Dana Pike talks more about the book’s reception within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint.
The stories of women in the New Testament are well known. At least that’s the way it seems. We know about Mary, the mother of Jesus—and Mary Magdalene. We’re also familiar with the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery. But in reality, we know very little about these biblical women. In this interview, BYU’s Camille Fronk Olson discusses her career and then explains what we do and don’t know about female New Testament figures.
The Gospel of John is unique in the New Testament. For example, the Synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke largely tell the same stories. John, on the other hand, introduces readers to unique events from the Savior’s life—and seems to do so with a theological purpose. In this interview, Eric Huntsman explains that themes of “encounter and discipleship” in the Gospel of John have real-life application for Christians today.
The Book of Abraham comprises only 15 pages of printed scripture, but there are hundreds of books, periodicals, and other articles detailing its history and theology. This Book of Abraham bibliography compiled by Stephen Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, and John Thompson organizes some of the most important sources on topics such as the Joseph Smith papyri, the ancient world of the Egyptians, and the facsimiles found in the Pearl of Great Price.
The Dead Sea Scrolls sparked a newfound interest in the Bible when they were discovered in the 1940s and 1950s. The fragments include significant portions of the Old Testament, but not New Testament texts. Similarly, claims about their unique connection to Latter-day Saint beliefs and practices fail to consider that relevant scrolls include only a few vaguely defined passages. In this interview, BYU’s Dana M. Pike explains more.
The poetic version of Section 76 of the Doctrine and Covenants has been lauded since it was first published under Joseph Smith’s name in 1843. However, the latest scholarship suggests that it was ghostwritten by William W. Phelps. While some also think it may have resulted from coordination between the Prophet and Eliza R. Snow or Parley P. Pratt, most scholars agree that Joseph Smith wasn’t the sole author of “The Vision” in poetic form.
Latter-day Saints and mainstream Christians differ in how they understand the natures of God and of Jesus Christ. For instance, the Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon doesn’t always align with the Savior in the Bible. But those differences might not be as extreme as is often assumed. In this interview, BYU’s Jason Combs discusses efforts by early Christians to understand the nature of Jesus Christ as both human and divine.
The account of Mary Magdalene in the Bible is only the beginning of her story, according to fictional accounts like The Davinci Code. But legend has a way of overshadowing history. In the case of Mary Magdalene, asking only if she was married to Jesus overlooks her contributions. In this interview, biographer Bruce Chilton tells the story of Jesus’ most pivotal female follower.
Selecting the books of the New Testament canon was an ongoing process that wasn’t complete until hundreds of years after the time of Christ. In this interview, biblical scholar Thomas A. Wayment explains how the New Testament came to have the texts that are in it today.