Recommended Reading

This page is a minimalist listing of books Dr. Heiser recommends on various subjects. Since Dr. Heiser is active in trying to inject sound thinking into fringe topics and pseudo-history via his Peeranormal podcast and FringePop321 YouTube channel, this list includes fringe topics. Inclusion does not mean wholesale endorsement of the contents of any item except his his own work.

With respect to his own research, the bibliography for items covered in Dr. Heiser’s book, The Unseen Realm, is voluminous. Dr. Heiser’s personal bibliography for that research is currently at 6,200 entries. Aside from bibliographic items in The Unseen Realm, readers are directed to the companion website for the book. With respect to the divine council, readers are encouraged to visit his website for that subject and the archive located at this website.

Biblical and Ancient Studies:

Books and articles by Dr. Heiser
Reference Works
Genesis 6, 1 Enoch, Reception of 1 Enoch in Early Church
Ancient Language Grammars
Word Study (Hebrew, Greek) Resources
Ancient Near Eastern Texts in Translation
Historical Jesus, responses to Jesus Mythicism
New Testament Textual Criticism, responses to Bart Ehrman
Old Testament Textual Criticism and Septuagint (LXX)
Ancient Near Eastern Backgrounds to the Old Testament
2nd Temple Judaism and Backgrounds to the New Testament
Dead Sea Scrolls & Qumran
Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha

Fringe Studies:

UFOs: Religion and Belief Systems
SETI and the ET Life Debate
Paleobabble and Fringe Archaeology

Biblical and Ancient Studies:

Books and articles by Dr. Heiser

Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible (Lexham Press, 2015)

Michael S. Heiser, Supernatural: What the Bible Teaches About the Unseen World – and Why It Matters (Kirkdale, 2015)

Michael S. Heiser, A Companion to the Book of Enoch: A Reader’s Commentary, Vol I: The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1-36) (Defender, 2019)

Michael S. Heiser, A Companion to the Book of Enoch:A Reader’s Commentary, Vol II: The Parables of Enoch (1 Enoch 37-71) (Defender, 2021)

Michael S. Heiser, Angels: What the Bible Really Says About God’s Heavenly Host (Lexham, 2018)

Michael S. Heiser, Demons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness (Lexham, 2020)

Michael S. Heiser, The World Turned Upside Down: Finding the Gospel in Stranger Things (Lexham, 2019)

Michael S. Heiser, Brief Insights on Mastering Bible Study: 80 Expert Insights, Explained in a Single Minute (60-Second Scholar Series) (Zondervan, 2018)

Michael S. Heiser, Brief Insights on Mastering the Bible: 80 Expert Insights on the Bible, Explained in a Single Minute (60-Second Scholar Series) (Zondervan, 2018)

Michael S. Heiser, Brief Insights on Mastering Bible Doctrine: 80 Expert Insights, Explained in a Single Minute (60-Second Scholar Series) (Zondervan, 2018)

Michael S. Heiser, “Does Divine Plurality in the Hebrew Bible Demonstrate an Evolution from Polytheism to Monotheism in Israelite Religion?” Journal for the Evangelical Study of the Old Testament 1:1 (2012): 1-24

Michael S. Heiser, “Monotheism, Polytheism, Monolatry, or Henotheism? Toward an Assessment of Divine Plurality in the Hebrew Bible” Bulletin of Biblical Research 18:1 (2008): 1-30

Michael S. Heiser, “You’ve Seen One Elohim, You’ve Seen Them All? A Critique of Mormonism’s Use of Psalm 82” Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies Review 19:1 (2007): 221-266

This is Dr. Heiser’s article, published in a Mormon journal, critiquing Mormonism’s understanding of Psalm 82 and the divine council.

Michael S. Heiser, “Are Yahweh and El Distinct Deities in Deut. 32:8-9 and Psalm 82?” HIPHIL 3 (2006); online journal

Michael S. Heiser, “The Divine Council in Late Canonical and Non-Canonical Second Temple Jewish Literature,” PhD diss., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2004

Michael S. Heiser, “Deuteronomy 32:8 and the Sons of God,” Bibliotheca Sacra 158 (Jan-March, 2001): 52-74

Michael S. Heiser, “Monotheism and the Language of Divine Plurality in the Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls,” Tyndale Bulletin 65:1 (2014): 85-100

Reference Works

One-volume Bible Dictionaries

(Nelson): Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary: An Authoritative One-Volume Reference Work on the Bible, With Full-Color Illustrations

(Moody): The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary

(InterVarsity): New Bible Dictionary

(Lexham Press): Lexham Bible Dictionary (this is a digital resource that is available for free)

(Baker): Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Baker Reference Library)

Other specialized one-volume dictionaries:

Dictionary of Biblical Imagery

Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, Second Edition (note: This resource is the work of critical scholars, not evangelicals. Consequently, if you’re not familiar with critical methods and thinking, you may not be ready for it. That said, it is the best work of its kind and much of its content can be found only in high-end monographs and scholarly journals.)

Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics

The Best Multi-Volume Dictionaries

The InterVarsity Press Dictionary Set (8 volumes – four OT, four NT). This is currently the best, most up-to-date set. It is available as a set or by individual volumes. All of these volumes are available in digital form through Logos Bible Software as well as hard copy.

Old Testament Volumes:

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Prophets (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)

New Testament Volumes:

Dictionary of New Testament Background: A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)

Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels (IVP Bible Dictionary)

Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)

Dictionary of the Later New Testament & Its Developments (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)

**Genesis 6, 1 Enoch, Reception of 1 Enoch in the Early Church**

Amar Annus, “On the Origin of the Watchers: A Comparative Study of the Antediluvian Wisdom in Mesopotamian and Jewish Traditions,” Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha 19.4 (2010): 277–320

This is the most important article to date on Gen 6:1-4. It supersedes all work done on the Mesopotamian backdrop — work which frankly pales in comparison to the data that Annus brings to bear on the passage. Annus shows with great clarity how the Mesopotamian apkallu traditions are the backdrop to Gen. 6:1-4 (and, therefore, the supernatural backdrop against which it was written and must be understood), along with how Second Temple Jewish writers comprehended the Mesopotamian backdrop. Subsequent Christian tradition (i.e., the church fathers) knew nothing of this backdrop, and so early church interpretations that produced the Sethite view violated the text’s original context. In short, any non-supernaturalist interpretation of Gen 6:1-4 is inconsistent with the original Mesopotamian context that is the focus of the passage’s polemic.

James C. VanderKam, “1 Enoch, Enochic Motifs, and Enoch in Early Christian Literature,” in The Jewish Apocalyptic Heritage in Early Christianity; ed. James C. VanderKam and William Adler; Minneapolis: Fortress, 1996), 33–101

Archie T. Wright, The Origin of Evil Spirits: The Reception of Genesis 6:1-4 in Early Jewish Literature, Revised Edition (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament 198, second series; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2013)

Annette Yoshiko Reed, Fallen Angels and the History of Judaism and Christianity: The Reception of Enochic Literature (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005)

James C. Vanderkam and George W. E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch: The Hermeneia Translation (Fortress Press, 2012)

This is the most recent, textually up-to-date, scholarly translation of 1 Enoch. It is taken from the scholarly commentary series below.

George W. E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch, v.1: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters 1-36, 81-108 (Hermeneia: A Critical & Historical Commentary on the Bible)

George W. E. Nickelsburg, 1 Enoch v. 2: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch, Chapters 37-82 (Hermeneia: a Critical and Historical Commentary on the Bible)

Harkins and Coblentz-Bautch, The Watchers in Jewish and Christian Traditions

Ancient Language Grammars

Mark Futato, Beginning Biblical Hebrew (Eisenbrauns); MEMRA textbook

Robert Holmstedt and John Cook, Beginning Biblical Hebrew: A Grammar and Illustrated Reader (Baker)

Karl Kutz and Rebecca Josberger, Learning Biblical Hebrew: Reading for Comprehension: An Introductory Grammar (Lexham, 2018)

Miles Van Pelt, Basics of Biblical Aramaic: Complete Grammar, Lexicon, and Annotated Text (Zondervan); MEMRA textbook

Alger Johns, A Short Grammar of Biblical Aramaic (Andrews University Monographs) (Andrews University)

James Jumper, A Short Grammar of Biblical Aramaic: An Annotated Answer Key to Alger Johns’s (Andrews University)

Bekins, Inscriptions from the World of the Bible (Hendrickson, 2020)

This is a self-study grammar and manual of epipgraphic Hebrew and Northwest Semitic texts (Phoenician, Aramaic, etc.)

Randall Garr, Dialect Geography of Syria-Palestine, 1000-586 BCE

This book covers Phoenician, Moabite, Ammonite, Epigraphic Hebrew, Old Aramaic in abbreviated form. It requires a good knowledge of ancient Hebrew to use it.

Michael Williams, Basics of Ancient Ugaritic: A Concise Grammar, Workbook, and Lexicon (Zondervan); MEMRA textbook

John Huehnergard, An Introduction to Ugaritic (Hendrickson)

Pierre Bordreuil and Dennis Pardee, A Manual of Ugaritic (Eisenbrauns)

James Allen, Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs (Cambridge); MEMRA textbook

James Hoch, Middle Egyptian Grammar (SSEA Publications) (Toronto)

Mark Collier, How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Step-by-Step Guide to Teach Yourself (Univ California Press)

John Huehnergard, A Grammar of Akkadian, 3rd ed. (Harvard Semitic) (Eisenbrauns)

John Huehnergard, Key to a Grammar of Akkadian (Harvard Semitic studies) (Eisenbrauns)

This answer key to Huehnergard’s grammar is for the second edition. You need to inquire of the publisher whether it is adequate for the third edition.

Martin Worthington, Complete Babylonian (Teach Yourself) (McGraw-Hill)

Miller and Shipp, An Akkadian Handbook: Helps, Paradigms, Glossary, Logograms, and Sign List

Daniel Foxvog, Introduction to Sumerian Grammar (Create Space; this book = notes from class taught at UC-Berkeley)

John L. Hayes, A Manual of Sumerian Grammar and Texts (UNDENA)

Dietz Otto Edzard, Sumerian Grammar (Handbook of Oriental Studies) (Brill)

William Mounce, Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar (Zondervan)

David Alan Black, Learn to Read New Testament Greek, 3rd ed. (Broadman & Holman); MEMRA textbook

Sandra Gogel, A Grammar of Epigraphic Hebrew (Sbl – Resources for Biblical Study)

Word Study (Hebrew, Greek) Resources

Van Gemeren, New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis (5 volume set)

Silva, New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis Set

Ancient Near Eastern Texts in English Translation

NOTE: Only the Context of Scripture set below covers all the major ancient Near Eastern literate cultures. The rest are limited to the focus of their titles.

Benjamin Foster, Before The Muses: An Anthology Of Akkadian Literature

Benjamin Foster, From Distant Days: Myths, Tales, and Poetry of Ancient Mesopotamia