A Dictionary of the Bible is a classic reference work for readers who want clearer access to the people, places, books, customs, doctrines, and historical background of Scripture. Philip Schaff brings the habits of a church historian and biblical scholar to a practical alphabetical guide, giving readers concise explanations of names, events, terms, geography, religious practices, and theological ideas that appear throughout the Old and New Testaments. Designed for students, teachers, ministers, and serious Bible readers, the dictionary helps connect individual passages with the larger world of biblical history and Christian interpretation. Entries provide context for ancient Israel, the life and ministry of Jesus, the early church, biblical lands, sacred objects, religious offices, and the language of Scripture. The result is the kind of older Protestant reference work that remains useful for orientation, study, and historical comparison. Readers of Bible study, Christian reference, church history, Protestant theology, and classic religious scholarship will find A Dictionary of the Bible a practical companion to Scripture. It is especially useful for those who want a traditional reference guide shaped by nineteenth-century biblical learning and by Schaff's broad knowledge of Christian history.