Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary | AYBD (6 vols.)

by David Noel Freedman; Gary A. Herion; David F. Graf; John David Pleins

and

1 more

Publisher:

Doubleday

, 1992

Overview

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (AYBD) remains the gold standard reference for biblical Studies. Walter Harrelson wrote of the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (AYBD) in the Journal of Biblical Literature: "Nothing of its kind exists in any language." And Logos customers have called it the "best resource I've ordered" and "a masterpiece."

And it's easy to see why. The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (AYBD) is a six-volume state-of-the-art dictionary with more than 6,000 entries from 800 international scholars—complete and unabridged with illustrations—making it an exceptional and powerful research resource.

Its impressive, broad swath of subjects spans the Old and New Testaments making it a valuable aide to a spectrum of users—from serious scholars to newer Bible readers. Even younger Bible students will benefit from Anchor's straightforward and easy-to-understand explanations.

Plus this resource is:

• Multicultural and interdisciplinary in scope
• An unprecedented interfaith exploration of the Bible
• Illustrated throughout with easy-to-find references
• Extensively cross-referenced for comprehensive coverage of topics
• Packed with full bibliographical references for all major entries

In the introduction the work, Associate Editor Gary A. Herion states that the project editors' goal was to "provide an eminently readable and yet authoritative reference source for all readers of the Bible." To achieve this, they "assembled an international host of scholars—including prominent archaeologists, Assyriologists, Egyptologists, classicists, philosophers, and ancient historians—who have been selected on the basis of their expertise and special contributions to biblical scholarship."

Thus, whether used in a professional, scholarly, or personal setting, the expansive information on Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (AYBD) will provide a richness of information to anyone interested in biblical studies.

Key Features

• Includes six volumes of approximately 1,200 pages each
• More than 6,000 entries
• More than 7,000,000 words
• Over 800 contributors
• Multicultural and interdisciplinary in scope
• An unprecedented interfaith exploration of the Bible
• Illustrated throughout with easy-to-find references
• Extensively cross-referenced for comprehensive coverage of topics
• Full bibliographical references following all major entries

How is this product different than the Anchor Bible Dictionary?

The contents of the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (AYBD) are identical to the Anchor Bible Dictionary (ABD). The name of the product has changed because the copyright for this resource was transferred from Doubleday to Yale University.

What You'll Learn

For each entry in Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (AYBD), you'll learn related Hebrew or Greek words, where that word or concept shows in the Old and New Testament, and information about the word or concept in external sources. Plus, you'll learn about related topics from articles from respected scholars in the field.

For example, in the entry on Joshua (the person), you'll learn that five persons in the Bible bear this name and that Joshua ben Hananiah was an important early rabbinic sage outside the biblical corpus. You'll learn where else in the Bible this name surfaces (and in the Logos version, all Bible entries are linked, so you can visit them immediately—a huge plus) and who it's referring to, as well as informative commentary for each that will broaden your understanding of the person according to the related context, culture, and background. Every supporting article includes an exhaustive bibliography to research the topic further.

You'll come away with a solid theological understanding of the word, topic, place, event, person, or idea and confidence that what you learned is backed by scholars in the field you can trust.

Top Highlights

“‘Repent and be baptized … so that your sins may be forgiven’ (Acts 2:38). Further usage links repentance not only with forgiveness (5:31) but also with ‘faith in our Lord Jesus’ (20:21) and with ‘life,’ as a result of repentance (11:18). In Acts 17:30–31 Paul on the Areopagus states God’s command for ‘all people everywhere to repent’ or be justly judged. Parallel to the phenomena in the gospels (NIDNTT 1: 359), repentance in Acts may be complementary to faith (20:21) or include faith (17:30) and leads to forgiveness of sins (2:38; 5:31) and eternal life (11:18).” (Volume 5, Page 673)

“JOY. The experience of deliverance and the anticipation of salvation provide the most significant occasions for rejoicing among the people of God in the OT. The coming of the Messiah, who delivers his people and brings salvation becomes the basis for rejoicing in the NT. The response of joy, gladness, or happiness is not only a deep inward feeling, but is expressed in celebration when God’s people gather together.” (Volume 3, Page 1022)

“In the following centuries the original meaning of the eucharistic sacramentum was entirely forgotten, and increasingly it came to be viewed either as a mysterious and mystical ‘communion’ with Christ, or (particularly for the laity) as a sacrificial ritual that served to heighten the sanctity (and the authority) of the presiding priestly hierarchy.” (Volume 1, Page 1199)

“When we review the rabbinic evidence, we discover that the basic issue separating the Sadducees and Pharisees/rabbis was purity.” (Volume 5, Page 893)

“There is wide agreement, however, that for most of the prophets, the Day of Yahweh meant that time in the relatively near future when Yahweh would punish not only his people’s enemies, but also his people (Israel, Judah, or the Jewish people) for breaking the covenant. Then, either through a new Davidic king or messiah or by acting directly, Yahweh would establish his own rule or kingdom over all the earth.” (Volume 2, Page 83)

About The Anchor Yale Bible Series

The Anchor Yale Bible Series, previously the Anchor Bible Series, is a renowned publishing program that for more than 50 years has produced books devoted to the latest scholarship on the Bible and biblical topics. Yale University Press, having acquired this prestigious series in 2007, is now proud to offer all previously published Anchor Bible titles as well as new books—more than 115 titles in all. Many more volumes are in progress as the AYB Editorial Board, under the direction of General Editor John J. Collins, vigorously pursues the goal of bringing to a wide audience the most important new ideas, the latest research findings, and the clearest possible analysis of the Bible. Widely recognized as the flagship of American biblical scholarship, the Anchor Yale Bible Series is comprised of:

• Anchor Yale Bible Commentary Series (AYBC), a book-by-book translation and exegesis of the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Apocrypha
• Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (AYBD), a state-of-the-art dictionary in six volumes with more than 6,000 entries from 800 international scholars
• The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library, containing more than 40 volumes by foremost scholars from a variety of religious backgrounds who focus on broad biblical themes

Praise for the Print Edition

...Because of the numerous developments in biblical scholarship during the past three decades, the editor felt (rightly) that it was time for a Bible dictionary that would represent the current state of the discipline.
The Anchor Bible Dictionary (ABD) is the result of his vision. The ABD is both international and interconfessional, with nearly 1,000 contributors from around the world representing Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim traditions (and also those of no religious tradition). The list of contributing scholars includes names long associated with biblical and theological studies. The currency of the dictionary as a whole is reflected especially in the inclusion of such subjects as the Dead Sea Scrolls, early Jewish-Christian relations, the historical Jesus, and sociological and literary methods of biblical criticism (including feminist hermeneutics), and in numerous entries on archaeological sites.
In addition, the bibliographies are usually up to date and often extensive. Unlike previous Bible dictionaries, the bibliographic entries in the ABD are complete citations, listed individually rather than in a run-on fashion, and hence easier to use.
...The ABD deserves a place on the shelves beside the standard Bible dictionaries of previous generations and is recommended for public, academic, and seminary libraries.

—Craig W. Beard, University of Alabama at Birmingham Library

Product Details

• Title: Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (formerly Anchor Bible Dictionary)
• Editors: David Noel Freedman, Gary A. Herion, David F. Graf, John David Pleins, Astrid B. Beck
• Abbreviation: AYBD (formerly ABD)
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Print Publication Date: 1992
• Logos Release Date: 2001
• Volumes: 6
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible › Dictionaries
• Resource ID: LLS:14.0.4
• Resource Type: Encyclopedia

About the Author

David Noel Freedman (1922–2008) was a Jewish-American biblical scholar, author, editor, archaeologist, and Presbyterian clergyman. He earned his BA from City College of New York, graduated from UCLA at age 17, and earned his Bachelor of Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1944, then studied Semitic Languages and Literature at Johns Hopkins University.

In 1947, while a graduate student, Freedman was one of the first American scholars, along with other archaeologists, to participate in excavating the caves near the Dead Sea, unearthing thousands of fragments of texts. He would spend the next 20 years painstakingly studying and translating a scroll of Leviticus—one of the books of the Torah found in the caves. After earning his doctorate in 1948, he held several academic and administrative positions at various theological institutions and universities.

In addition to editing Anchor Bible Dictionary (AYBD), David Noel Freedman was the general editor of several other distinguished series, including Eerdmans Critical Commentaries (2000–08) and The Bible in Its World (2000–08). In addition, he edited and authored many other award-winning works, including the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000). He also produced over 330 scholarly books, including The Unity of the Hebrew Bible (1991); Psalm 119: The Exaltation of Torah (1999); The Nine Commandments (2000); and What Are the Dead Sea Scrolls and Why Do They Matter? (2007).

A highlight of his career was editing the Leningrad Codex: A Facsimile Edition (1998), in which, for the first time in history, Freedman and his colleagues brought the world's oldest complete Hebrew Bible to churches, synagogues, libraries, and laypeople.