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
