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Description: For the maps alone, this book is worth it. Following 1,250 pages that describe and explain the people, places, terms, and events of the Bible from Aaron to Zurishaddai, the 16 spectacular maps detail the political entities and boundaries of biblical times, bringing the historic times to vivid life. A fascinating book, an impressive collection of scholarship, and a possession to cherish, the 188 contributors and five editors show what can be produced if you don't cut corners on excellence.
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Review Summary: Very very good |
Date: 2008-01-28 |
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Details: I believe a very Christian should have a bible dictionary in their house, especially this particulary one. This is the best one and it even helps one with related scriptures in both the old and new testament with also the explaination of the words in spiritual contents not just webster dictionary's meaning, lol. |
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Review Summary: Superb Portable Source of Biblical Information. Buy It NOW. |
Date: 2007-11-05 |
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Details: The `HarperCollins Bible Dictionary', edited by Paul J. Achtemeier, in association with the Society of Biblical Literature is, for its size in one chunky but manageable volume, a superb reference resource which, if you can get it for a modest discount, is well worth anyone's money if you do any independent Bible study at all. One of the very few flaws I can find is that the book is misnamed. It is much more properly considered a one-volume encyclopedia than a dictionary, for several reasons.
First, not every word, especially not every proper name in the Bible appears in this volume. There are several person and place names connected with Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist which cannot be found in their own entries, or even an entry which says `See ...'. And, there are several other cases I have found. Now in an encyclopedia, this is not a deficiency, as there is simply nothing one can say about these names except for what you see in the one and only occurrence in the Bible. In a dictionary, however, one can say a fair amount about the extra-biblical source and pronunciation. Second, the majority of entries are primarily analytical, summary, or even exegetical in the case of the articles on some of the major Books of the Bible. In a dictionary, one would not even expect such articles, let alone the three and a half page essay one finds, for example on Paul's letter to the Romans, with its outline, bibliography, history, and analysis of Paul's language in the letter.
Now both of these things are actually virtues when it comes to an encyclopedic reference. And, they are virtues for this very worthy volume.
It is part of the measure of this book's value that the only real competition I have found is the equally misnamed six (6) volume `Anchor Bible Dictionary' where each of the six volumes is as large as this one volume work.
The pictures in this volume are almost all in black and white, printed on the same non-glossy paper as the text and in exchange for bright, glossy pictures, we get many more, and therefore more useful selection of pics. Unfortunately, many of the black and whites are just a bit washed dark and in low resolution. Combine this with their small size, and about 1/5 of the pictures loose most of their value. I would also have liked to see a more detailed reference to the location of the sources (which Museum holds the original), but that may have doubled the cost of the book, so I won't grouse too much. The other side of the coin is that we see many wonderful little Easter eggs in the pictures, as with the Jerusalem temple inscription forbidding non-Jews from entering the Temple, written in GREEK!
I am happy to see that all quotes from the Bible are from the RSV translation, which is the direct ancestor to the NRSV commonly used in Lutheran devotions, so we Lutherans don't feel too far from home in these texts. I must also agree with all the other positive reviewers on the quality of the articles, give the space constraints in which each contributor worked. You will still need a true DICTIONARY, but this volume is a must as well.
Lastly, this volume has superior maps of Palestine throughout the Biblical eras. They are at least as good as those in the best study Bibles from Oxford and from HarperCollins, and far better than many you will see from `lay-friendly' sources like Rose and Holman.
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Review Summary: Invaluble Research Tool |
Date: 2007-01-24 |
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Details: I actually purchased this from a bookstore back in 1988-89, then it was priced at over $100! I got it at a discount because there was a flaw in the binding. I wanted a Bible study resource that went beyond the concordances that were available at the time. Compared to some of the other Bible dictionaries that I've used this one reads more like an encyclopedia. It combines archaeological, anthropologic, and ancient historical data to give one a completely unbiased account of Biblical related facts. Another cool thing is the magnificent pictures of ancient artifacts spread throughout. I don't possess another reference book that comes close. I'm thinking of purchasing another because I've used this one so much in the last 20 years that it's starting to fall apart. It's worth the money. |
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Review Summary: Harper Collins Bible Dictionary |
Date: 2007-01-12 |
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Details: The book was in great shape, packaged well, and sent and delivered timely to make it a great experience. |
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Review Summary: A real find |
Date: 2006-11-05 |
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Details: This book is very easy to use. I am a minister and it has helped me with writing sermons and just understanding the Bible better. |
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out of 12 Reviews
