cover image The Cambridge Companion to the Bible

The Cambridge Companion to the Bible

Howard Clark Kee. Cambridge University Press, $65 (624pp) ISBN 978-0-521-34369-5

Of the making of many Bible reference books there is no end. However, very few one-volume Bible reference books provide as much wealth of material and as broad a scope as this volume. The authors, all respected biblical scholars, combine the finds of recent archeological studies and the insights gleaned from new literary, historical and sociological approaches to the Bible to render an accessible overview of the development of the Bible. Part One, written by Meyers (Duke University) and Rogerson (University of Sheffield), focuses on ""The Old Testament World"" and examines the history of the development of the Hebrew Bible's stories against the backdrop of the mythology and history of the Ancient Near East. Part Two, written by Saldarini (Boston College), examines the ""Jewish Responses to Greco-Roman Culture"" and traces the history of the Bible's stories from the third century B.C.E. to the first century C.E. Part Three, written by Kee (Boston University), explores ""The Formation of the Christian Community"" and chronicles the rise of Christianity as recorded in the biblical texts from the mid-first century C.E. to the mid-second century C.E. Each chapter is chock-full of charts and illustrations to help readers visualize the historical settings in which the biblical stories occurred. In addition, specific topics (the canonization of the biblical books, for example) are highlighted in sidebars within the chapters. The book's sensible organization, its lucid prose and its completeness make it an extremely useful tool for both novice and professional Bible readers. (Mar.)