"Quite simply, this is an excellent work of reference. Its list of articles has been carefully chosen, and includes all the important ones for understanding the Historical Books of the Old Testament in a wide range of perspectives: methodological, literary, geographical, archaeological, historical, religious, major personalities. Equally well chosen are the authors of the articles, who represent among the best in contemporary biblical scholarship internationally, many of them already well known for their work on the topics they here write about. The articles themselves are concise and yet comprehensive, presenting in lucid fashion the information about their topics, with very helpful bibliographies of relevant scholarship. But more than the presentation of information, the articles dig seriously into the problems of how that information has been and can be interpreted. They offer, thus, a real exposure to the challenges and debates that have made up the study of the Bible in the past and the present."
" DOTHB should be in the library of every Bible student and teacher, as well as every institution engaged in biblical education. IVP's series of dictionaries stands as a landmark accomplishment for biblical scholarship."
"A complement to the Dictionary on the Pentateuch and an essential resource for all serious students of the OT. This Dictionary along with its companion volume will reward all who want to explore the world of the OT in greater depth and be better informed for teaching others."
"An invaluable guide to the Historical Books which sums up current thinking on all the major issues. Readers can rely on this work for the best in today's scholarship."
"Given the dramatic developments in the study of ancient Israelite history and historical writing over the past two decades, the publication of an up-to-date dictionary is a most welcome development. Arnold and Williamson have assembled a well-respected international team of scholars to provide readers with clear, concise and helpful overviews of a variety of relevant topics."
"This dictionary clearly recognizes the distinction between history as what happened in the past and history as a written record of the past, and gives sustained attention to each. Students will profit immensely from concise statements of the historical issues and from the fair presentation of all major points of view. The bibliographical references should stimulate those who want to dig deeper, and the dictionary format will surely please those who want to and/or need to focus their reading. At a time when so many issues in Israel's history are contested, this dictionary provides a reliable and competent guide."
"This volume provides up-to-date scholarship not only on all the historical books but also world studies relevant to the material covered. An excellent companion for study of a section of the Old Testament canon often neglected."
"The quality of the articles is excellent. The articles were accessible, succinct and fair. This is a very helpful resource for students of the Bible at all levels, especially to those who are interested in historical books of the Old Testament, history and culture of ancient Israel and ancient Near East, and issues involved in reconstructing what happened in the past. I highly recommend it."
"Contains fairly even and well-balanced entries that provide a panoramic view of the present landscape in this segment of scholarly research on the historical books, the history of Israel, and relevant archaeological evidence. The contributors to the dictionary, however, do not merely present but also evaluate data. . . . This affordable reference work can benefit all who desire to gain something from its clear presentation of the material, whether undergraduates, graduate students, or scholars."
"This reference work is intended for an audience spanning the gamut from students and pastors to professors and researchers. . . . This volume is highly recommended."
"The publisher of DOTHB, the latest volume in the comprehensive series on the Old and New Testaments and their backgrounds, is to be commended on this magnificent achievement. The editors have distinguished and well-deserved reputations in biblical studies, while the authors, some better known than others, are uniformly well-qualified and in the forefront of our field. The list of contributors and articles is comprehensive, if not exhaustive, and those read by the present writer, across the spectrum of history, archaeology and theology, are first-rate both in terms of fair-minded scholarship and reader-friendly literary quality. Authors and editors alike are to be congratulated for a stellar accomplishment. As a person with some experience in the reference work business, I can recommend the new arrival with utmost enthusiasm."
"One of the best dictionaries I have encountered, this volume on the Historical Books of the Old Testament is a veritable gold mine of information, clearly and competently presented. The treatments are rich and complete, accessible to any reader. Some of them provide as fine a concise guide to the topic under consideration as can be found. Not only does the volume take up obvious and important topics, such as the main historical figures, historical issues and biblical books; it also engages hermeneutical, theological and linguistic matters. In some cases, while the essay is focused on the Historical Books, it will serve as a way into the topic within the whole of Scripture. The authors come from a wide spectrum of points of view, but they all work to present a broad and full picture of the issues under discussion. A valuable reference tool for anyone working in the Scriptures."
"It is quite a testimony to a dictionary to say I could hardly resist the temptation to read it through from "Aaron" to "Zerubbabel." History, archaeology, everyday life, theology, religion, geography, critical theories, hermeneutics--it's all there, in articles written by a very wide range of top scholars and younger experts. It is a marvelous volume."
"With entries ranging from 'agriculture' to 'Zion traditions,' DOTHB attempts a 'total context' treatment of the Historical Books of the Old Testament. Since these books are concerned with much more than 'history,' this approach is absolutely right, and is admirably carried through. I am particularly pleased to see the level of awareness of recent developments in biblical and archaeological study in many of the articles. This is a very valuable addition to the IVP dictionary series."
