About the Book
The Bible is the central text of Western civilization, and an understanding of it is vital to the study of world history and culture. In addition, more and more high school and college students are studying the Bible as literature. Monumental in scope and written especially for high school students and general readers, this encyclopedia surveys the material culture, customs, and beliefs of the biblical world. Included are more than 200 alphabetically arranged entries on the tools, animals, foods, habits, laws, professions, and peoples of the Bible. Each entry provides definitions; scriptural references; etymological, historical, and archaeolgical information; and, when possible, a discussion of the relevance of the topic to modern readers. Entries include cross-references and cite works for further reading, and the encyclopedia is generously illustrated.
The Bible is the central text of Western civilization, and an understanding of it is vital to the study of world history and culture. In addition, more and more high school students and undergraduates are studying the Bible as literature. Monumental in scope and written especially for high school students and general readers, this encyclopedia surveys the material culture, customs, and beliefs of the biblical world through more than 200 alphabetically arranged entries on the tools, animals, foods, habits, laws, professions, and peoples of the Bible.
Each entry provides definitions; scriptural references; etymological, historical, and archaeological information; and, when possible, a discussion of the relevance of the topic to modern readers. The encyclopedia covers the peoples who were a part of biblical life: the Essenes and Pharisees, the scribes and priests, the neighbors and enemies, and the great powers that enslaved them. In addition, it explains many of the major events in Israel's history, the accepted concept of cosmology and weather, and the common understanding of many details from the Creation to Armageddon.
Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations
Introduction
Abbreviations
Entries
Bibliography
Index
About the Author :
Nancy M. Tischler is Professor Emerita of English and the Humanities at the Pennsylvania State University. Her previous books include Men and Women of the Bible (2003), and Student Companion to Tennessee Williams (2000), both available from Greenwood Press.
Review :
[P]resents over 200 entries on physical objects, animals, concepts, groups, titles, cultures, events, places, and pagan gods that are referred to or part of the culture of the peoples in the Bible….Ranging in size from one paragraph to several pages, the entries comprise Bible sources, etymology, cross references, and recommended readings. The overall format is easy to read….Recommended for high school libraries where there is a strong interest in Bible culture.
Nonspecialists will find the work helpful in that the entries are easy to read and concise enough for someone to receive a basic knowledge of the material….Public libraries and lay church leaders will benefit the most from the set.
Having produced 2003 a reference to men and women in the Bible, Tischler here describes groups of people such as professions or nationalities, commonly referenced cultures and places such as Egypt and Galilee, theological constructs such as the Fall of Man and the Resurrection, events and activities, pagan gods, and other matters of possible interest to lay readers of the Hebrew or Christian Bible. Entries range from a page or less to several pages, cite biblical passages and cross-references in the text, and suggest further print and online sources for deeper study. The two volumes are paged and indexed together.
The entire work is well written and well presented. I welcome the allusions to biblical stories and images in English literature, since T's background is in that field of study. The illustrations are well done and helpful.
As a religious text, the Bible is rooted in the common life of people and full of imagery drawn from it. These alphabetical listings explain both the familiar and unfamiliar-nationalities, places, events, activities, professions, tools, animals, and pagan gods-and provide reference points for readers and researchers. Black-and-white line drawings and maps aid in understanding those long-ago cultures that continue to impact modern beliefs.
These volumes offer a wealth of fascinating information on such aspects of everyday life. Things comprises objects, but also groups, events, animals, titles, and concepts, targeted to a lay audience. Tischler avoids controversy, for example describing two creation stories without mentioning their likely disparate origins….Bible sources are given for each entry, and Bible references are in the text, with cross-references in bold. A further-reading list follows most entries, and a selected bibliography and an index appear in volume two. An impressive assemblage of data for research papers.
[S]urveys the material culture, customs, and beliefs of the biblical world through more than 200 A-Z entries on the tools, animals, foods, habits, laws, professions, and people of the Bible. Each entry provides definitions; scriptural references; etymological, historical, and archaeological information; and, when possible, a discussion of the topic's relevance to modern readers.
This attractive two-volume set is printed in large type on pages with lots of white space. The author intends it for lay readers who are less interested in scholaryly debate, detail, and discussion and more interested in the facts leading to a better understanding of Scripture….The author's hope that these two volumes will help readers gain a richer understanding of vineyards and funerals, weddings and hospitality, Pharisees and Sadducees, kings and shepherds… I think they will.
