When it comes to the realm of biblical studies, students of the Bible are often overwhelmed, both with the sheer volume of information and with all of the unfamiliar terms, concepts, and topics. Like any other field of study, the serious study of the Bible has developed a specialized vocabulary. The key terms in this important field are defined in The Compact Dictionary of Biblical Studies. It provides clear, concise, and accurate definitions to help students of the Bible make sense of the specialized language of biblical studies.

Most Bible dictionaries on the market today miss a number of cultural and sociological issues of interest to the study of the Scriptures. The Dictionary of Daily Life in Biblical and Post-Biblical Antiquity aims to fill this void. Written and edited by a world-class historian and also by a highly respected biblical scholar, this unique reference work provides background cultural and technical information on the world of the Hebrew Bible and New Testament from 2000 BC to approximately AD 600.
Articles on domestic life, technology, culture, laws, and religious practices are rarely found in available Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias, but here they are explained in detail, accompanied by bibliographic material for further exploration. Articles range from 5-20 pages long.
While the authors are well known, they have also recruited 35-40 experts in the actual fields being discussed in numerous cases, and thus the series is further strengthened by the high level of scholarship applied to each of the articles. Scholars, pastors, and students (and their teachers) will find this to be a very useful resource for biblical study, exegesis, and sermon preparation.
This first volume covers 39 topics from A-Da, including:
- Agriculture
- Art
- Barbers & Beards
- Boats & Ships
- Camels
- Childbirth & Children
- Clothing
- Dance

Edited by Bill T. Arnold and Hugh G. M. Williamson, the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books is the second volume in IVP's Old Testament dictionary series. This volume picks up where the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch left off--with Joshua and Israel poised to enter the land--and carries us through the postexilic period. Following in the tradition of the four award-winning IVP dictionaries focused on the New Testament, this encyclopedic work is characterized by in-depth articles focused on key topics, many of them written by noted experts. The history of Israel forms the skeletal structure of the Old Testament. Understanding this history and the biblical books that trace it is essential to comprehending the Bible. The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books is the only reference book focused exclusively on these biblical books and the history of Israel. The dictionary presents articles on numerous historical topics as well as major articles focused on the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah. Other articles focus on the Deuteronomistic History as well as the Chronicler's History, the narrative art of Israel's historians, innerbiblical exegesis, text and textual criticism, and the emergence of these books as canonical. One feature is a series of eight consecutive articles on the periods of Israel's history from the settlement to postexilic period, which form a condensed history of Israel within the DOTHB. Syro-Palestinian archaeology is surveyed in one article, while significant archaeological sites receive focused treatment, usually under the names of biblical cities and towns such as Jerusalem and Samaria, Shiloh and Shechem, Dan and Beersheba. Other articles delve into the histories and cultures of the great neighboring empires--Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia and Persia--as well as lesser peoples, such as the Ammonites, Edomites, Moabites, Philistines and Phoenicians. In addition there are articles on architecture, Solomon's temple, agriculture and animal husbandry, roads and highways, trade and travel, and water and water systems. The languages of Hebrew and Aramaic, as well as linguistics, each receive careful treatment, as well as the role of scribes and their schools, and writing and literacy in ancient Israel and its environs. The DOTHB also canvases the full range of relevant extrabiblical written evidence, with five articles focused on the various non-Israelite written sources as well as articles on Hebrew inscriptions and ancient Near Eastern iconography. Articles on interpretive methods, on hermeneutics and on preaching the Historical Books will assist students and communicators in understanding how this biblical literature has been studied and interpreted, and its proper use in preaching. In the same vein, theological topics such as God, prayer, faith, forgiveness and righteousness receive separate treatment. The history of Israel has long been contested territory, but never more so than today. Much like the quest of the historical Jesus, a quest of the historical Israel is underway. At the heart of the quest to understand the history of Israel and the Old Testament's Historical Books is the struggle to come to terms with the conventions of ancient historiography. How did these writers conceive of their task and to whom were they writing? Clearly the Old Testament historians did not go about their task as we would today. The divine word was incarnated in ancient culture. Rather than being a dictionary of quick answers and easy resolutions readily provided, the DOTHB seeks to set out the evidence and arguments, allowing a range of informed opinion to enrich the conversation. In this way it is hoped that the DOTHB will not only inform its readers, but draw them into the debate and equip them to examine the evidence for themselves.

The Dictionary of Daily Life in Biblical & Post-Biblical Antiquity is
a unique reference work that provides background cultural and
technical information on the world of the Hebrew Bible and New
Testament from 2000 BC to approximately AD 600.

This dictionary casts light on the culture, technology, history, and
politics of the periods of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament.

Written and edited by a world-class historian and a highly
respected biblical scholar, with contributions by many others,
this unique reference work explains details of domestic life,
technology, culture, laws, and religious practices, with
extensive bibliographic material for further exploration.
Articles range from 5-20 pages long. Scholars, pastors, and
students (and their teachers) will find this to be a useful resource
for biblical study, exegesis, and sermon preparation.

This fourth volume covers 25 topics from O-Z, including:
Plants & Flowers, Slavery, Taxation, Textiles, Viticulture, Wealth &
Poverty, Weapons, Widows & Orphans, Wild Animals & Hunting, and
more.

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Revised and Expanded
For 25 years the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary has been the go-to Bible reference resource for lay Bible students, teachers, pastors, academic courses, and libraries. Those who have used it have praised its comprehensiveness, conciseness, and clarity. Over 6,500 articles from Aaron to Zuzite are written to equip the reader for greater competence in understanding and interpreting the Scriptures. Each article is structured to begin with a concise definition followed by a thorough development of the topic. Some 700 full-color photos, maps, reconstructions, and charts enrich the experience of those who use the Dictionary for personal study, academic work, and preparation for teaching and preaching the Bible.

Contemporary Bible readers are separated from the original documents by 2,000 to 3,500 years. Bridging this chasm requires linguistic, literary, geographical, historical, and cultural information that the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary provides. This third edition of the Dictionary makes available up-to-date archaeological information that illuminates the biblical text.