The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, edited by George Arthur Buttrick (5 volume HC set, 4 volumes for articles A- Z, and one "Supplementary Volume". Books are in in very good shape, with clear covers over the DJs. The set of 5 is $40, which is less than 1/3 the price on the internet, and these are in much better shape.)
The first four books were originally written for the 1962 edition. The supplemental volume was written in the mid 1970s, after new writings were discovered, especially the Dead Sea Scrolls. Another area of new knowledge included here comes from underwater archaeology.
"One measure of the Bible's impact on culture is its ability to speak to changing concerns of society. Accordingly, articles deal with the role of Blacks in antiquity, the status of women, attitudes toward various aspects of human sexuality, and the relation of the Bible to modern science. Secular disciplines have been drawn on for new insights from linguistics and anthropology in an attempt to promote interdisciplinary study and co-operation. Questions of the nature of language and of the way linguistic forms and semantic structures change and evolve are vitally important to the study of any ancient document. And just as the men and women of the Bible can be better understood in the light of their contemporary cultures, so too they can be better understood in the light of cultural anthropology and knowledge of the way all human cultures function."
And from the last paragraph of the preface, "May the joy of study and the delight which knowledge brings lift our eyes to the One who is in every age his people's constant help." (Nicely put, Mr. Crim.)
I am not sure exactly what are the differences are between the earlier blogged encyclopedia, and this dictionary. The writers from this last set include Jews and Roman Catholics, which the other doesn't seem to include. The earlier set classifies itself as being "conservative", while this one seems more liberal. ( It really does have an article on sexuality, three pages in fact! But then the other one has an entire 10 pages.) They are both written around the same period. Compare them and figure out which one you agree with, or like better than the other.
Look for this set next to the other set, on the Christian blog shelves.
