Illustrated Dictionary of Bible Life and Times
The coverage in this lavishly illustrated dictionary on biblical times is succinct and easily absorbed by readers who need have little or no previous knowledge of the Bible. The result, however, is better suited for a coffee table than a library. The entries, which are not signed and cite no research literature, lack depth of treatment, and other features that make for a good library acquisition are missing, most significantly, a thorough and consistent system of cross references. For instance, the entry "Color" makes no reference to and has no references from the entries "Yellow," "Purple," "White," or "Crimson," though the volume's index does list cross references to "Dye," "Dyeing" and "Red" under "Color." Other general entries that lack significant cross references to and/or from related, but more specific, entries include those on "Animals," "Coin," "Holy Days," "Jewelry," "Measures," "Metal," "Musical Instruments," "Plants," "Spice," "Weapons," and "Writing" (for the latter of which there is often a significant illustration at the beginning of each new letter heading in the dictionary). The entry on "Breastpiece" has an insert illustration but needs also a reference to the artist's work relating to "Ephod," and vice versa. The entry under "Chariot" makes no reference to the illustration for it. There is also some indication of a want of more careful proofreading. For example, the illustration of the inscription on p. 33 is inverted, the name "Arad" is elsewhere twice spelled "Arat," and "Elijah" should replace "Eliza" on p. 222. Many artifacts are depicted without complete descriptions which should include date, material, and place of provenance for a reasonable interpretation thereof. Appropriate for home purchase but not well suited for public, academic, or theological libraries.?Robert H. O'Connell, DenverCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.