The Oxford Guide to People & Places of the Bible (Hardcover)

~ (Editor), (Editor) "AARON. A major figure in Israel's origins and the first of its high priests..." (more)
Key Phrases: central hill country, monarchic period, New Testament, Hebrew Bible, Dead Sea (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In the late 20th century, increasing numbers of preachers and scholars have emphasized the narrative quality of the Bible, considering Scripture to be a collection of stories about God's relationship with humanity. Narrative readings of the Bible are most trustworthy when they're based on clear understandings of the characters and settings. And such understanding is now within reach of any lay reader, in the form of the well-researched, easy-to-use reference The Oxford Guide to People and Places of the Bible. Edited by Bruce M. Metzger (the renowned New Testament scholar who chaired the committee that produced the New Revised Standard Version) and Michael D. Coogan (editor of The Oxford History of the Biblical World), this book contains more than 300 entries on every major person and place in the Bible, from Adam to Zedekiah (the last king of Judah) to the Garden of Eden to Golgotha. Contributors from a range of theological traditions and academic disciplines ensure each entry is informed by the latest archaeological findings, as well as current sociological, literary critical, and linguistic research. Extensive cross-referencing will lead readers from one discovery to the next, fleshing out each Bible story as they go. Even in entries for the most familiar characters, readers will find entertaining surprises: Goliath, for example, is said to be almost 10 feet tall in I Samuel; but if you believe the Dead Sea Scrolls, he was really stood closer to 7 feet. --Michael Joseph Gross

From Library Journal

Written by an international team of biblical experts, this reliable resource covers the people, places, and groups (e.g., angels, tribes of Israel) found in the Bible and also considers what the Bible says and how biblical traditions have been interpreted by scholars. The over 300 alphabetical and signed articles cover virtually every major biblical figure from Adam to Jesus and significant places from Egypt and Assyria to Bethlehem and Sodom, as well as geographical features such as the Sea of Galilee and Mount Hebron, all in excellent detail. The content reflects recent findings of archaeologists and current research methods, making the work authoritative as well as comprehensive. Metzer, Collard Professor Emeritus at Princeton Theological Seminary and chair of the NRSV Bible Committee, which produced the New Revised Standard Version, and Coogan (religious studies, Stonehill Coll.), editor of The Oxford Illustrated History of the Biblical World, have created a timely and lasting work. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries, this is also worth considering by for high school libraries with advanced students. (Color maps not seen.) Leroy Hommerding, Fort Myers Beach P.L., FL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 436 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (June 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195146417
• ISBN-13: 978-0195146417
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,043,763 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Facts As Written by Bible Scholars of Today, July 26, 2001

By	Judith Miller (Bluemont, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is a very concise guide to all of the fascinating characters and places in the Bible. The Directory of Contributors lists over 140 names of the scholars who have put together the text. They hail from the United States, Italy, Ireland, England, Israel, Switzerland, Scotland, Canada, South Africa, Germany and Australia. The author of each entry is identified by name and the reader can check into the directory in the front of the book and find their scholastic background.

Written in alphabetical order and starting with AARON, the book covers the people and places of both Testaments. Fourteen Bible Maps based on the Oxford Bible Atlas are also included.

The guide reads like an encyclopedia and makes a terrific companion book to the Bible. For instance, if you want to know exactly who were the PHARISEES or read the story of JACOB, and what he did to win the beautiful RACHEL each entry is there to be found.

This is really a great source of reference for finding specific data.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have: this should be on everyone's bookshelf., June 9, 2005

By	Thomas More "1535" (Ottawa, Canada) - See all my reviews

This is well worth its price as it is a succinct guide to all people and places in the bible. The alphabetical listing of the people and places is intuitive making this a user friendly encyclopedia. One feature I really like about this work is that each entry is attributed to the author allowing for additional research if you so desire and allowing you to contextualize the commentary if you are doing scholarly work.

Note: Unlike the previous reviewer's book, mine does not begin with "Aaron", it starts with "ABBA." I suspect she was actually referring to the "Oxford Companion to the Bible," another must-have for those interested in this subject.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Kindle Edition Review, September 4, 2009

By	Rodney Thomson - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent reference work, and I refer to it regularly during Bible class and other study. The write-ups are full of great information and well done.

Unfortunately, the Kindle version's navigation features are almost non-existent. The table of contents does not let you jump to a letter of the alphabet and there is no search function (as there is in the dictionary included in the Kindle and other encyclopedias). You are left to page through one page at a time, or use the go to function and hope you get close to the desired topic. Your best option is probably to book mark every letter and use that as a means to more quickly get around.

This is a very good book (I would give the print version five stars), but the Kindle version's lack of navigation makes it too cumbersome to use as a handy reference, which is what it is supposed to be. I recommend the hard copy of this work but caution those considering the Kindle version.