Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary

INTRODUCTION

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION (ABBREVIATED)

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION (ABBREVIATED)

ABBREVIATIONS

A - Z

About the Author

Copyright

About the Publisher

Share Your Thoughts

 

When the Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary appeared in 1963, under the general editorship of the well-known New Testament scholar Merrill C. Tenney, it quickly established itself as a standard one-volume reference work for the study of Scripture. Almost twenty-five years later, a completely revised edition, which came to be known as the New International Bible Dictionary, was published under the capable direction of J. D. Douglas. The present revision preserves a fundamental continuity with the two previous editions, yet in many important respects it represents a new work.

 

The most obvious difference is of course its general appearance. Printed in full color throughout, the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary (ZIBD) includes more than 470 striking photographs and more than 17 freshly produced maps. The new artistic design and use of fonts greatly enhance the attractiveness and clarity of the work.

 

More substantial, however, are the changes in content. Almost 1,800 new entries have been added, bringing the total to over 7,200 (including many useful cross-references that make it easier for the user to find desired information). Articles dealing with the books of the Bible now include a sidebar with concise information concerning authorship, historical setting, purpose, and contents. Every article has been revised and updated, and although in some cases the changes required were minor, most entries involved thorough revision or even total rewriting. In this process, the editor had the advantage of being able to make use of the revised edition of the Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible (ZEB). Particularly in the case of shorter articles, material from ZEB was often transferred (with only minor revisions) to the corresponding ZIBD entries. Thus the one-volume work, while retaining many distinctive features not found in ZEB, may be regarded to some extent as an abbreviated version of its multivolume cousin.

 

What this means for the reader is the benefit of using ZIBD with greater confidence. One-volume Bible dictionaries often report information or make claims that—because of space limitations or for other reasons—are not properly documented. If an item seems unusual (e.g., a statement is made that contradicts an alternate work of reference), readers may find it quite difficult to verify the information. Users of ZIBD, in contrast, knowing that most of the material is treated more fully in ZEB (which usually includes argumentation, some technical data, and extensive bibliographies), can readily consult the larger work for further details.

 

Although much of the material in ZIBD can still be traced back to one or both of the previous editions, the changes have been so extensive that attributing articles to individual authors would in most cases prove misleading. Rather than make arbitrary decisions in specific cases, all the entries now appear unsigned. The revising editor and all readers, however, will continue to be indebted to the original writers, whose names appear listed in both of the earlier editions.