Zondervan Illustrated

Bible Dictionary

J. D. Douglas and Merrill C. Tenney

Revised by Moisés Silva

ZONDERVAN

Zondervan Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Copyright © 1987, 2011 by Zondervan

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Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Zondervan illustrated Bible dictionary / [edited by] J.D. Douglas and Merrill C. Tenney; revised by Moisés Silva.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-0-310-22983-4 (hardcover, printed)

1. Bible — Dictionaries. I. Douglas, J.D. (James Dixon) II. Tenney, Merrill C. (Merrill Chapin), 1904-1985. III. Silva, Moisés. IV. Zondervan encyclopedia of the Bible.

BS440.Z66 2011

220.3 — dc22 2010034210

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Maps by International Mapping. Copyright © 2009 by Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers printed in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Introduction

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, ...