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