This image is the cover for the book Sleuthing the Bible

Sleuthing the Bible

Why is there crime-scene tape on my Bible? Elementary, my dear reader.

There is an element of detective work to biblical scholarship that entails sniffing out and interpreting clues that often escape the notice of readers. John Kaltner and Steven L. McKenzie introduce the art of sleuthing the Bible, providing the necessary training to hunt for clues and piece them together to understand the larger picture.

Sleuthing the Bible helps answer questions that occur during thoughtful examination of the Bible and provides exercises enabling readers to work through biblical passages on their own. Kaltner and McKenzie analyze two kinds of clues: (1) Smoking Guns— those that are obvious upon any close reading of biblical texts, and (2) Dusting for Prints—those that are more subtle or hidden from nonspecialists because of their unfamiliarity with the languages, culture, and larger content of the Bible.

Written in a jargon-free and accessible style, Sleuthing the Bible is an ideal resource for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the biblical text. 

John Kaltner, Steven L. McKenzie


John Kaltner is Virginia Ballou McGehee Professor of Muslim-Christian Relations at Rhodes College. Among his publications are Ishmael Instructs Isaac and Introducing the Qur'an.

Steven L. McKenzie is Spence L. Wilson Senior Research Fellow and Professor of Hebrew Bible at Rhodes College. His books include The Hebrew Bible Today and All God's Children: A Biblical Critique of Racism.

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company