From Oxford University Press, renowned for educational and reference works, comes The Oxford Essential Guide to People & Places of the Bible, a comprehensive guide to the Good Book.* 280 articles covering both individuals and groups in ancient Israel and early Christian communities whose stories make up the Hebrew Bible, the Apocrypha, & the New Testament,br>* Fully cross-referenced for easy reading and association * History and significance of major places in the bible * Contributions by more than 25 leading biblical scholars

This essential resource helps all writers organize, shape, and complete their work while expressing their ideas creatively and clearly. Rules of style and technique are covered, with examples of expert prose from the masters. An Appendix covers punctuation and grammar.

From the most trusted name in reference comes this office assistant that covers every aspect of office work, including business writing, e-mail and phone etiquette, making presentations, mail safety, and a glossary of essential business terms. Original.

This handbook provides a comprehensive guide to methods, terms, and concepts used by biblical interpreters. It offers students and non-specialists an accessible resource for understanding the complex vocabulary that accompanies serious biblical studies. Articles, arranged alphabetically, explain terminology associated with reading the Bible as literature, clarify the various methods Bible scholars use to study biblical texts, and illuminate how different interpretive approaches can contribute to our understanding. Article references and topical bibliographies point readers to resources for further study. This handbook, now updated and revised to be even more useful for students, was previously published as Interpreting the Bible: A Handbook of Terms and Methods. It is a suitable complement to any standard hermeneutics textbook.

The Christian faith has the allegiance of one third of the human race. It has succeeded in influencing civilization to such a degree that we now take its existence almost for granted. Yet it might all have been so different. Christianity began with the words and deeds of an obscure village carpenter's son who died a shameful criminal's death at the hands of the Roman occupiers of his country: itself an insignificant outpost of the powerful ruling Empire. The feverish land of biblical Palestine, awash with apocalyptic expectations of deliverance from its foreign overlords, was hardly short of seers and prophets who claimed to be sent visions from God. Yet the followers of this man thought he was different: so different, in fact, that some years after his death and asserted resurrection they scandalously insisted not only that he was sent by God, but that he 'was' God. How a provincial sect, with its seemingly outrageous ideas, became first the sanctioned religion of the Roman Empire and then, over the course of 2000 years, the creed of billions of people, is the improbable story that this book tells. It is a story of freethinkers, friars, fanatics and firebrands; and of the lay people (not just the clerical or the powerful) who have made up the great mass of Christians over the centuries. Many introductions to Christianity are written by Christians, for Christians. This elegant textbook, by contrast, shows that the history of the religion, while often glorious, is not one of unimpeded progress, but something still more remarkable, flawed and human.

Nearly 2,500 of the newest words of the English language are precisely defined in this guide that offers additional information to put these new discoveries and concepts in context. Includes online resources and real-life examples. Original.

The fascinating origins of more than 11,000 core words in English are compiled in this reference that includes word usage, social history of words now used, and special features on various meanings of words. Original.