THE

HARPERCOLLINS

BIBLE

DICTIONARY

revised and updated

general editor

MARK ALLAN POWELL

associate editors

Barry L. Bandstra

†Lawrence E. Boadt

Joel S. Kaminsky

Amy-Jill Levine

Eric M. Meyers

Jonathan L. Reed

Marianne Meye Thompson

with the Society of Biblical Literature

previous editions

General Editor: Paul J. Achtemeier

Associate Editors: Roger S. Boraas; Michael Fishbane;

Pheme Perkins; William O. Walker Jr.

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An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Photo Research:

InfoEdit: Leslye Borden, Elizabeth Ely; Interactive Composition Corporation

Color Photograph Insert Design:

Christy Butterfield

Text Illustrations:

Heather Preston, Sally Shimizu

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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

the harpercollins bible dictionary. Revised and Updated. Copyright © 2011 by The Society of Biblical Literature. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information, address HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022.

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third edition

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. Revised and Updated.—3rd ed. / general editor, Mark Allan Powell; associate editors, Barry L. Bandstra … [et al.].

p. cm.

isbn 978-0-06-146906-0

1. Bible—Dictionaries. I. Powell, Mark Allan. II. HarperCollins (Firm)

BS440.H235 2011

220.3—dc22

2010007897

Editorial Board

General Editor

Mark Allan Powell

Robert and Phyllis Leatherman Professor of New Testament Studies

Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio

Associate Editors

Barry L. Bandstra

Evert J. and Hattie E. Blekkink Professor of Religion

Hope College, Holland, Michigan

†Lawrence E. Boadt

Professor Emeritus of Sacred Scriptures

Washington Theological Union, Washington, D.C.

Joel S. Kaminsky

Professor of Religion and Director of Program in Jewish Studies

Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts

Amy-Jill Levine

E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Professor of New Testament Studies

Vanderbilt Divinity School, Nashville, Tennessee

Eric M. Meyers

Bernice and Morton Lerner Professor of Judaic Studies

Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

Jonathan L. Reed

Professor of New Testament

University of La Verne, La Verne, California

Marianne Meye Thompson

George Eldon Ladd Professor of New Testament

Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California...