The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary is widely regarded as the most authoritative work of its kind, not least because of the involvement of the Society of Biblical Literature in the production and continual evaluation of its content. This third edition continues in the tradition of excellence of its predecessors, but has been thoroughly updated and revised by a new editorial team. About 50 percent of the content is new, and several dozen charts, tables, and other graphics have been added.
The editorial process has been guided by some key commitments. First, the purpose of the dictionary is to make the results of biblical scholarship available to a wide audience that includes nonspecialists. The individual entries have been written by academic experts, but the material is presented in as nontechnical and reader-friendly a fashion as possible. In many cases, the author of a particular entry is a scholar who has written entire books or monographs on the subject at hand; still, most of the material will be both intelligible and enlightening for general readers who need only a quick summary of basic information.
Second, the focus of the dictionary is on understanding the biblical text itself. For this reason, the number of textual references has been greatly increased in this edition of the dictionary; more examples have been added to the entries, indicating the passages or instances in which particular words, persons, or concepts are featured. Of course, many entries also present background information, including data relevant for understanding the Bible within its historical and literary context. Even then, however, the goal is, not to report everything that can be known about topics pertinent to the ancient world, but to summarize the information scholars find most pertinent for understanding the Bible.
Third, the tone of the dictionary is intended to be descriptive, not argumentative. The field of biblical studies encompasses many schools of thought about which methods of research are most reliable, what sorts of evidence are most conclusive, and so on. Nevertheless, the authors and editors of this dictionary recognize that this book is not the proper forum for advocacy of particular positions or presentation of pet theories. The entries summarize data and, when appropriate, provide some indication of different ways in which that data has been interpreted. There is no attempt to persuade readers to accept one view or reject another.
Finally, this dictionary is an academic reference work that presupposes a scholarly interest in the Bible that transcends devotional or spiritual concerns. That said, it does strive to be considerate of those whose interest in the Bible is informed by religious perspectives. We recognize that faith commitments are often—though not always—what propel people to study the Bible. Our intention has been to avoid privileging skepticism, on the one hand, or promoting any particular religious views, on the other. The editors themselves are a diverse lot, representing different confessional and ideological positions (e.g., Roman Catholic, Jewish, mainline Protestant, evangelical). We identify ourselves as liberals, moderates, and conservatives, and we have often checked each other’s work to ensure that material is presented fairly and accurately.
Key features of the dictionary include the following:
• Entries on almost every name (person or place) mentioned in the Bible; the only names of persons or places not accorded entries are those for which no substantive information can be provided (e.g., a name found in a list of names without any additional information).
• Entries on every book of the Bible, with outlines, content summaries, historical background information, and discussion of the major themes and interpretive issues relevant for academic study of the book; all of these entries have been newly written for this edition.
• Entries on every one of the deuterocanonical books, which Protestant Christians call the Apocrypha; this edition of the dictionary also pays full attention to these apocryphal/deuterocanonical works throughout, citing appropriate passages from these books whenever they are relevant for any particular entry.
• Entries on all the plants (“fig”) and animals (“sheep”) mentioned in the Bible.
• Entries on units of money (“denarius”) and weights and measures (“cubit”).
• Entries on important theological terms used in the Bible (e.g., “justification,” “faith”).
• Entries on words that are used in the Bible in a distinctive or significant way (e.g., “hallow,” “minister”).
• Entries on hundreds of everyday phenomena significant for understanding life in the biblical world (“bowl,” “lamp,” “door,” “snare,” “phylactery”).
• Almost 100 maps.
• Over 50 graphic charts and tables.
• Over 500 photos and drawings.
As noted, this is the only Bible dictionary published in cooperation with the Society of Biblical Literature, a learned academic guild to which most respected and renowned biblical scholars belong. About two hundred members of that society contributed to the entries in this book. Most of the authors offered their time and expertise without financial compensation, so that the book could be offered to the public as inexpensively as possible. All royalties for the sale of this dictionary go to the Society of Biblical Literature to promote continued research and the advancement of biblical scholarship.
Both HarperCollins and the Society of Biblical Literature have a solid track record of commitment to responsible scholarship that allows readers of all persuasions to engage and understand the Bible better. In the case of this book, the cooperative efforts of two persons must be acknowledged: Eric Brandt, Senior Editor at HarperOne, and Bob Buller, Editorial Director for the Society of Biblical Literature. Kent Richards, Executive Director of the Society of Biblical Literature until 2010, also provided wise counsel and significant supervision. Trinity Lutheran Seminary (Columbus, Ohio) granted the General Editor a sabbatical leave to give the project the attention it warranted. Three students helped with a number of potentially thankless tasks, except that we do thank them here, now, and in some sense every time this book is opened: Brennan Breed, graduate assistant at Emory University; Jerry O’Neal, graduate assistant at Trinity Lutheran Seminary; and Stephen Shaffer, research assistant at Hope College.
Most of all, however, this book continues to serve as a monument to the massive achievement of Paul J. Achtemeier, General Editor of the original dictionary, and to the work of the numerous Society of Biblical Literature scholars who contributed their time and expertise to researching and writing the various entries.
—Mark Allan Powell