The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Third Edition, New Revised Standard Version, Indexed [Hardcover]

Michael D. Coogan (Editor), Marc Brettler (Editor), Carol A. Newsom (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 20, 2007

Thousands of satisfied scholars, students, and worshippers have relied on the New Oxford Annotated Bible for its excellent scholarship, easy-to-use supplementary materials, and high-quality bindings.

The newest edition of the NOAB with Apocrypha is no different, offering a wealth of new maps, charts and diagrams that expand on this already indispensible Bible. It includes all of the features that readers have valued in past editions and more: foot-of-page annotations provide convenient reference to unknown terms, while background essays, charts, and Oxford's signature biblical maps deepen the readers' understanding of the Biblical world in its historical, social, and geographical context.

Printed on smooth, flexible paper in clear typeface, and available in a variety of elegant bindings, the NOAB offers the best features at reasonable values. The NOAB with Apocrypha combines Oxford's highest reputation in theological scholarship with sensitivity towards readers' needs in scriptural study.

* Wholly revised, and greatly expanded book introductions and annotations.
* Annotations in a single column across the page bottom, paragraphed according to their boldface topical headings.
* In-text background essays on the major divisions of the biblical text.
* New essays on the history of the formation of the biblical canon for Jews and various Christian churches.
* More detailed explanations of the historical background of the text.
* More in-depth treatment of varieties of biblical criticism.
* A timeline of major events in the ancient Near East.
* A brief history of biblical interpretations, from biblical times to the present.
* A full index to all of the study materials, keyed to the page numbers on which they occur.
* 36-page section of full color New Oxford Bible Maps, approx. 40 in-text line drawing maps and diagrams.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From reviews of the previous edition:

"The New Oxford Annotated Bible with its excellent footnotes and concise introductory materials has a thoroughness and clarity that should prove invaluable to the lay reader and scholar alike."--Frederick Buechner

"I know of no other annotated Bible that is as rich as The New Oxford in both the precision of its textual notes and the clarity and helpfulness of its introductions. It will be and extraordinarily useful edition to have on one's library shelf."--Andrew M. Greeley

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Bruce M. Metzger, Collard Professor of New Testament, Emeritus, Princeton Theological Seminary. Roland E. Murphy, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Duke University Divinity School. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 2432 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 3 Thumbed edition (April 20, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195288815
• ISBN-13: 978-0195288810
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.8 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #486,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #72 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Religions, Practices & Sacred Texts > Apocrypha

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Bible I Own November 25, 2007

By Eric H. Springer

Format:Leather Bound

This is the best bible i have yet to own. The bibnding and leather are great, the text is a wonderful size, and is glorious due to the addition of the Apocrypha. The notes are the best of any Bible I have ever seen. They reference knowledge and scholars outside of simple Christian thought. The notes as well as the translation are enhanced due to the ecumenical influence. No other Bible refernces such ancient texts such as the "Epic of Gilgamesh" or the "Enuma Elish" in their study or annotation notes. Not only does it provide scholarly anceint knowledge of the geography or other topics, it also provides a practical side to each scripture. Great for in-depth study and research. The best bible translation since it takes advantage of the Dead sea Scrolls, which no other translation really does. Most recomended by professors and scholars in modern schools. These notes are wonderful, and challenging, but the best around. Highly recomend this bible, best purchase you can make.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Bible EVAR February 10, 2009

By Helm

Format:Hardcover

I've been looking long and hard for a Bible for...a while. I wanted a text as close the original meaning as possible, something I worried that had been compromised in newer versions for the sake of readability and respectability. I'm not saying I wanted unicorns, but if "unicorn" was the most appropriate word for the job I did. And in addition to that I was hoping for an edition with critical scholarship to help better understand what I was reading.

So far I have been blown way by this Bible. There haven't been any unicorns yet, but the wording in some parts is so completely bizarre it could only come from a much older culture with a significantly different understanding of the world, without any translator trying to make it make sense. I'm specifically thinking about when God creates the dome (which he called the Sky) separating the waters below it, AND above it. You can't make that up, unless you're an ancient Hebrew.*

Additionally the footnotes are amazing. They provide notations about disputes about the translation of specific words, context and glorious cross-references to related biblical content. But I definitely recommend you read through the Biblical text before heading down to the footnotes. The sheer amount of footnotes would break up the flow of the regular text if you tried to read it along the way.

And there are loads of addition texts from Catholic, Greek and Slavonic Apocrypha. I haven't gotten to them yet, but I am very excited.

In short, if you reading this for spiritual reasons, it's got everything you'd a expect and maybe some stuff you could take or leave (little essays, notes and footnotes galore). If you're reading this critically, for your faith or otherwise, this has more to offer than any other single Bible I've ever laid eyes on.

I Love It.

And there are sea monsters, which I suppose might just be giant squids, but still. Sea Monsters.

*EDIT - Apparently ancient Hebrews didn't make it up either. It turns out the sky-dome/water below/water beneath theory was pretty much how everyone thought the world worked back then. It is mentioned in Sumerian writings which predate all Hebrew texts by virtue of Sumerians inventing writing (they were the ancient world's overachievers). So who dreamed up the sky dome? It's lost to prehistory I'm afraid, but it would seem to be more reflective of ancient man's rudimentary understanding of the world rather than any particular religious group.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Bible for Scholarly Study February 13, 2009

By Sarah

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is an excellent source for scholarly study of the Bible. It is meant for those people who wish to study the Bible for seminary purposes or to just read the Bible critically. If this is so, then this is the Bible for you.

If you are looking for a Bible that will affirm your Christian faith and lift you up, then this Bible is NOT for you. The the straight-forward critical comments will only serve to confuse and frustrate you. You're better off with another study Bible that favors your slant on things. This one is ecumenical and non-biased. Not for those beginning in the faith or feeble in faith.