Biblical Studies: Reference Shelf

The Bible has had an immeasurable influence on Western culture, touching on virtually every aspect of our lives. It is one of the great wellsprings of Western religious, ethical, and philosophical traditions. It has been an endless source of inspiration to artists, from classic works such asMichaelangelo's Last Judgment, Handel's Messiah, or Milton's Paradise Lost, to modern works such as Thomas Mann's Joseph and His Brothers or Martin Scorsese's controversial Last Temptation of Christ. For countless generations, it has been a comfort in suffering, a place to reflect on the mysteriesof birth, death, and immortality. Its stories and characters are an integral part of the repertoire of every educated adult, forming an enduring bond that spans thousands of years and embraces a vast community of believers and nonbelievers.The Oxford Companion to the Bible provides an authoritative one-volume reference to the people, places, events, books, institutions, religious belief, and secular influence of the Bible. Written by more than 250 scholars from some 20 nations and embracing a wide variety of perspectives, theCompanion offers over seven hundred entries, ranging from brief identifications--who is Dives? where is Pisgah?--to extensive interpretive essays on topics such as the influence of the Bible on music or law.Ranging far beyond the scope of a traditional Bible dictionary, the Companion features, in addition to its many informative, factual entries, an abundance of interpretive essays. Here are extended entries on religious concepts from immortality, sin, and grace, to baptism, ethics, and the HolySpirit. The contributors also explore biblical views of modern issues such as homosexuality, marriage, and anti-Semitism, and the impact of the Bible on the secular world (including a four-part article on the Bible's influence on literature).Of course, the Companion can also serve as a handy reference, the first place to turn to find factual information on the Bible. Readers will find fascinating, informative articles on all the books of the Bible--including the Apocrypha and many other ancient texts, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls,Pseudepigrapha, and the Mishrah. Virtually every figure who walked across the biblical stage is identified here, ranging from Rebekah, Rachel, and Mary, to Joseph, Barabbas, and Jesus. The Companion also offers entries that shed light on daily life in ancient Israel and the earliest Christiancommunities, with fascinating articles on feasts and festivals, clothing, medicine, units of time, houses, and furniture. Finally, there are twenty-eight pages of full-color maps, providing an accurate, detailed portrait of the biblical world.A vast compendium of information related to scriptures, here is an ideal complement to the Bible, an essential volume for every home and library, the first place to turn for information on the central book of Western culture.

Six years in the making, this state-of-the-art dictionary offers the most up-to-date and comprehensive treatment of biblical subjects and scholarship. An essential reference for every serious reader of the Bible. B & W illustrations and line-art throughout.

The Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible gathers nearly 5,000 alphabetically ordered articles that thoroughly yet clearly explain all the books, persons, places, and significant terms found in the Bible. The Dictionary also explores the background of each biblical book and related writings and discusses cultural, natural, geographical, and literary phenomena--matters that Bible students at all levels may encounter in reading or discussion. Nearly 600 first-rate Bible authorities have contributed to the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Intended as a tool for practical Bible use, this illustrated dictionary reflects recent archaeological discoveries and the breadth of current biblical scholarship, including insights from critical analysis of literary, historical, sociological, and other methodological issues. The editorial team has also incorporated articles that explore and interpret important focuses of biblical theology, text and transmission, Near Eastern archaeology, extrabiblical writings, and pertinent ecclesiastical traditions--all of which help make the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible the most comprehensive and up-to-date one-volume Bible dictionary on the market today. Features of the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible:   Nearly 5,000 entries explain every book, person, place, significant event, and distinctive term or expression found in the Bible Written by nearly 600 respected authorities in the field of biblical scholarship Includes 112 informative charts and photos and a 12-page section of color maps Supplementary aids include lists of abbreviations, pronunciation guide, transliteration key, and concise bibliographies to guide further research Entries cover the Deuterocanonicals as well as the Hebrew and New Testament scriptures Based on the New Revised Standard version of the Bible, with attention given to alternate readings in other major translations

Its 5,700 articles include mini-commentaries on each book of the Bible, extensive articles on essential biblical teachings, omnibus articles treating various cultural aspects of biblical times, and more than 600 photos, maps, and illustrations.

Offering a wealth of reliable information, The Oxford Guide to People and Places of the Bible provides more than 300 articles that cover everyone from Adam and Eve to Jesus Christ and everywhere from the Garden of Eden to Golgotha and Gethsemane.Readers will find fascinating, informative entries on virtually every major figure who walked across the biblical stage. Here are Hebrew Bible figures such as Cain and Abel, Noah and Methuselah, Abraham and Isaac, David and Goliath, Solomon and Sheba, Moses and Aaron, Naomi and Ruth, andSamson and Delilah. The New Testament is likewise well covered, with pieces on Peter and Paul, John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene, the apostles (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), Pontius Pilate and Judas Iscariot, and of course Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Articles also define groups of people whofigure in the Bible, such as Angels, Archangels, and Demons, the Magi, the Tribes of Israel, and Women. Entries on the significant places of the Bible, both ancient and modern, include kingdoms and countries (Egypt, Assyria, Mesopotamia) and cities (Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Sodom and Gomorrah), as wellas geographical features such as the Sea of Galilee and Mount Hebron. The guide includes a detailed index for ease of use, and 14 pages of color maps, providing an accurate, detailed portrait of the biblical world.Here then is the first place to turn to find factual information on the people and places of Holy Scripture. Written by an international team of noted biblical experts, it is an essential addition to any family library as well as a useful, reliable resource for scholars and students.

Calvocoressi recalls pictures, persons and other works of art that have been of inspiration through the ages, in addition to providing biographies of over 450 biblical characters in the Old and New Testaments and the Apocrypha.

This edition of a legendary classic puts generations of biblical research at your fingerstips. The New Strong's(R) Exhaustive Concordance gives you all the classic features of the full-size concordance in a smaller, more convenient form. Includes Fan-Tab(tm) Thumb-Index Reference System, Dictionaries of Hebrew and Greek words, easy-to-read print, and is revised and updated for accuracy.

This new edition of the Oxford Bible Atlas, now with full-colour maps and illustrations, has been thoroughly revised to bring it up to date with regard both to biblical scholarship and to archaeology and topography. The Atlas will help readers of the Bible understand the contexts in which itsstories are set and to appreciate the world from which it emerged and which formed its background. Maps show the geographical setting of the Bible's stories and reflect the successive stages of the Bible's accounts, while specially chosen full-colour illustrations bring the countries and theirpeoples to life. The accompanying text describes the land of Palestine, and its wider ancient Near Eastern and east Mediterranean settings. It outlines clearly the successive historical periods, and describes the major civilizations with which Israelites, Jews, and early Christians came intocontact. There is also an illustrated survey of the relevance of archaeology for the study of the Bible. The Atlas provides a superb guide to the geography of the Holy Land throughout biblical history, from the Exodus period through to New Testament times.

Heralded as the most authoritative and up-to-date atlas of the Bible now available, Biblica: The Bible Atlas with an enclosed CD-ROM goes beyond the more traditional books of its kind. It places the biblical narrative and its peoples in their historical, cultural, social, and geographic contexts, and it makes clear the complex history and cultures of the Bible lands as they relate to the region's modern social and political landscape. But perhaps most important of all, Biblica: The Bible Atlas incorporates the most recent archaeological findings and research, combining scholarly data with engaging discussion of the Bible's immortal stories. In summary, this unusual volume offers readers fresher insights and a deeper appreciation of the biblical narrative than any other reference source of its kind. Biblica: The Bible Atlas is also a visually stunning guide to the Bible and biblical lands, featuring more than 650 full-color paintings, drawings, etchings, and photographs plus 125 full-color maps of the region. Following the extensive and beautifully illustrated main text are 14 pages of biblical reference tables, an extensive bibliography, a glossary of biblical terms, a large selection of biblical quotations from the Old and New Testaments, a gazetteer of biblical place names, and an extensive index. Here is a beautiful and informative book that will make a treasured addition to the family bookshelf. It will also be a much-sought-after volume in reference libraries everywhere. (sidebar copy) Biblica: The Bible Atlas Brings to life the dramatic stories, charismatic people, and fascinating locales of the Bible Arranged in eight parts: geography and history of the Bible lands; Genesis and the Patriarchal period; the Judges; the Kings, the Prophets and the Righteous; the conquest of the kingdoms; the life of Jesus of Nazareth; and the spreading of the Word Includes information on topography, geology, climate, vegetation, and key physical features of the region 125 original maps show prominent locations, journeys, battles, political boundaries, and more Incorporates the latest archaeological findings and theological research. The enclosed CD-ROM presents interactive maps that point out biblical place names and important archaeological sites. This software accessory also defines biblical names and Bible-related terms, and serves readers as a helpful complement to a truly unusual book.

To meet the need for clear and accurate information, Professors Anson F. Rainey and R. Steven Notley have now come forward with an atlas that traces the course of Near Eastern history from the Chalcolithic Age (c. 3500 BCE) to the defeat of Bar Kochba's fighters and their retreat to the caves east of En-gedi. The product of close cooperation between two distinguished scholars of world renown and the knowledgeable and experienced staff of Carta, Jerusalem, this Atlas provides 300 state-of-the-art maps to show as far as possible in terms of modern knowledge the changes and historical processes that affected the lands of the Bible. Included are all historical and biblical episodes that can be depicted cartographically--migrations and settlements, battles and conquests, the location and detailed movement of individual historical and biblical characters. In addition, The Sacred Bridge--Carta's Atlas of the Biblical World draws on information from all known ancient sources-Egyptian, Assyrian, Greek, Roman and others--to reveal trade routes, economic determinants, and the development of international relations. Maps, many of them never before attempted, are presented chronologically, with extensive interpretive texts alongside. Finds, tools, artifacts, inscriptions and other documents from each period also appear in conjunction with the maps. The ultimate usefulness of any complex reference work depends on its index and its bibliography, and The Sacred Bridge--Carta's Atlas of the Biblical World provides everything that could be asked for in the way of organized assistance to the reader. Each person or site can be located. An invaluable chronological table correlates historical activity in the East (Mesopotamia and Anatolia), the southern Levant, Egypt, and the Greco-Roman West from 2800 BCE to the second century CE. The superb reference sections contain every article, book or document consulted. The extensive index contains every place name that has been mapped and, in addition, names that still defy exact location but can be shown in relation to specific biblical episodes. New Testament geography, especially that of the Gospels, is interpreted in the light of the new understanding resulting from such discoveries as the Dead Sea Scrolls (e.g., the wider use of Hebrew as a social and religious vehicle than heretofore acknowledged). These refreshing insights serve to define geographical terms used in the New Testament and trace their origin. Documents are presented in their original languages and transcribed or translated into English. A special feature of this atlas is the insertion of these texts and their meaning within the narrative proper.