Overview
The most extensive Bible dictionary ever created:
- The first major Bible dictionary to be published in America in 30 years
- 6 volumes of approximately 1,200 pages each
- More than 6,000 entries
- More than 7,000,000 words
- Nearly 1,000 contributors -all the biggest names from around the world
- Multicultural and interdisciplinary in scope
- An unprecedented interfaith exploration of the Bible
- Illustrated throughout with easy-to-find references
- Endpaper maps of the Near Eastern world keyed to text for quick location of archaeological and biblical sites
- Extensively cross-referenced for comprehensive coverage of topics
- Easy-to-read article and chapter headings for speedy location of material
- Full bibliographic references following all major entries
Inside you'll find:
- Exciting articles on pseudepigraphic and apocryphal texts, Nag Hammadi tractates, and individual dead Sea Scrolls-including the very latest on the most recently published sectarian Dead Sea Scrolls
- "Minor entries" on personal and place-names that go well beyond the one- or two-sentence descriptions found in other Bible dictionaries
- Outstanding summaries of the latest research on the historical Jesus
- Fascinating new articles discussing the growing reappraisal of early Christianity's relationship with Judaism (was Christianity an "offspring" or "sibling" of rabbinic Judaism?)
- Many articles illustrating the literary artistry of the biblical text
- Intriguing discussions of everyday life in Bible lands-including articles that help us to understand health and disease, the role of animals and plants in the ancient ecosystem, and the demographics of human settlement in ancient Palestine
- A richness of information unequaled in the history of biblical studies
Edited by David Noel Freedman
Editorial Consultants:
Hans Dieter Betz-Greco-Roman Religin
James H. Charlesworth-Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
Frank More Cross-Old Testament
William G. Dever-Archaeology
A. Kirk Grayson-Mesopotamia and Assyriology
Peter Machinist-Bible and Ancient Near East
Abraham J. Malherbe-New Testament
Birger A. Pearson-Early Christianity
Jack M. Sassoon-Bible and Ancient Near East
William R. Schoedel-Early Christian Literature