What three books speak of the resurrection in the Old Testament?

Answer 1

If the question is concerning the resurrection of the dead (in general; e.g. as recited in the Nicene Creed "...we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.") rather than of Jesus (in particular), there are a couple of passages that might fairly be construed as referring to the resurrection.

Daniel

Many of those who sleep in the dustof the earth shall awake; some shall live forever, others shall be an everlasting horror anddisgrace. But the wise shallshine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the starsforever. Dan 12:2-3, NAB

2 Maccabees

So when he was ready to die, he said thus, It is good, being put to death by men, to looke for hope from God to be raised up againe by him: as for thee thou shalt have no resurrection to life. 2 Macc 7:14, 1611 KJV

And when he had made a gathering throughout the company, to the sum of two thousand drachmes of silver, hee sent it to Ierusalem to offer a sinne offering, doing therein very well, and honestly, in that he was mindfull of the resurrection. 2 Macc 12:43, 1611 KJV

Answer 2

I am afraid the Old Testament never mentions the resurrection of Jesus.

However, some pious Christians try to find references to the resurrection of Jesus in three, or even more, books of the Old Testament. For example, some say that Isaiah chapter 53 talks about his resurrection. How? It does not mention Jesus by name or even indirectly in any way that we can say describes him. It does not mention the crucifixion of Jesus and does not make mention of any resurrection. Certainly, verse 53:8 talks of someone taken from prison and executed but who had done no violence nor had he deceived, but this could refer to many thousands, if it is not a reference to events of the time it was written. Simply put, nowhere does Isaiah, neither in chapter 53 nor elsewhere, speak of the resurrection of Jesus.

This raises the issue of how people come to believe that the Old Testament says what it does not say. Burton L Mack (Who Wrote the New Testament) says there is a trick wherein one can ask any question of The Bible and get some kind of answer, then if the first answer does not appear to be helpful, one looks for another answer to the same question, until the right answer appears. With a little ingenuity, one can set up the comparison again with other emphases and make the answer come out right. In this way, it really is possible to point to hundreds of references that appear to describe Jesus, even to his resurrection if that is the answer sought.