Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

Book excerpt: The Dictionary of the Bible is a landmark reference work edited by biblical scholar James Hastings. It is a thorough index of all key terms in Scriptures. This edition features two linked tables of contents: one at the beginning of the volume, which takes you to individual chapter, and the other at the beginning of each chapter linking to its verses. The full title was A Dictionary of the Bible, dealing with the Language, Literature and Contents, including the Biblical Theology. It was edited by James Hastings, with the assistance of John A. Selbie. Additional assistance with revision of the proofs was provided by A. B. Davidson, S. R. Driver and H. B. Swete. Although described as a “dictionary”, the work is better described as an encyclopaedia, with signed articles sometimes several pages in length. It is a substantial work, with more than 8000 pages and 1,401784 words. The 194 authors of articles were established scholars of the day, generally Protestant Christians, from many countries, but mostly from the UK and the USA in that order. The subject matter was "the Old and New Testaments, together with the Old Testament Apocrypha, according to the Authorized and Revised English Versions." Articles were written "on names of all Persons and Places, on the Antiquities and Archaeology of the Bible, on its Ethnology, Geology and Natural History, on Biblical Theology and Ethic ..."It remains a one of the best source of Biblical information.