Enduring Questions 113: Heroes, Gods and Monsters

How do I use these essential sources?

Use these dictionaries and encyclopedias to establish the context of the passage you have chosen.  The Anchor Bible Dictionary and New Interpreters Dictionary have excellent articles on every book of the bible.  These articles will give you information about literary genres, what scholars theorize about authorship, social-historical context, etc.  You can also look up biblical place names, characters in the bible, theological concepts and much more.