Looking for a dictionary/encyclopedia

Hi all,

I have the Scholar's edition and looking to add a more detailed dictionary or encyclopedia. I was wondering if you had any advice or recommendations in choosing one of the following:

Anchor Bible Dictionary

Baker Encyclopedia

ISBE, revised edition

Any other recommendations?

Also, can someone explain the difference between the Bible Background Commentary in the IVP Essentials collection and the same type of commentary published by Zondervan? Is it just a matter of size?

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Comments

Bohuslav Wojnar

I find Anchor Bible Dictionary as really the top source of information. However I am glad I have also ISBE encyclopedia. I tend to go to it first. May be because I am evangelical. I would recommend to have both [:)]

Jeremy

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/51464#Comment_51464

I too would recommend the Anchor Bible Dictionary. It is a little bit dated, but still an incredible reference.

The difference between the IVP background commentary and the one by Zondervan is that the Zondervan one is a little larger and is illustrated.

I would also take a look at the the set of IVP Dictionaries (NT Background, Jesus and the Gospels, Paul and His Letters, Later NT and Its Developments, Pentateuch and Historical Books, Wisdom Literature, Prophets). They are probably just as in depth as the Anchor Bible Dictionary, but are up to date and written from an evangelical perspective.

Todd Phillips

I find Anchor Bible Dictionary
as really the top source of information. However I am glad I have also
ISBE encyclopedia. I tend to go to it first. May be because I am
evangelical. I would recommend to have both

Anchor
(Yale) Bible Dictionary is bigger, more scholarly/in-depth, and more
diverse in viewpoints (thus requiring more discernment--you may find
yourself disagreeing with the conclusions of the articles). ISBE is
more conservative/evangelical in viewpoints, which makes it more useful
for non-scholarly applications (like sermon/bible study prep)--depending on where you stand. ISBE is
also cheaper than AYBD and would be the one I recommend for laymen get
as the step up from a one volume dictionary. Baker Encyclopedia is less
in-depth than ISBE.

Here's the article/page count:

AYBD 6000+ articles / 7200+ pages

ISBE 9000+ articles / 4452 pages

Baker 5700+ articles/ 2000+ pages

Note that the article count on AYBD is lower than ISBE, but the page count is higher (i.e., the articles are much longer in AYBD). I'm glad to have both. I just got the Baker Enc with the latest package upgrade, and don't see myself using it.

Jean Maurais

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/51490#Comment_51490

Thank you for the feedback, it is very useful. I just started working on an MA in Theology and I'd like a dictionary that is a good starting point for research projects. So, bibliographic data is important,as well as diversity.

Eventually, I'd probably buy several, but for now I can only afford one. Sounds like the ABD would be the logical choice?

Bohuslav Wojnar

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/51495#Comment_51495

Thank you for the feedback, it is very useful. I just started working on an MA in Theology and I'd like a dictionary that is a good starting point for research projects. So, bibliographic data is important,as well as diversity.

Eventually, I'd probably buy several, but for now I can only afford one. Sounds like the ABD would be the logical choice?

Look at the Christmas Special Day 2: http://www.12daysoflogos.com/ Special price for the AYBD, specially prepared for you... [:)]

Jean Maurais

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/52691#Comment_52691

You can imagine my reaction this morning when I checked the Logos blog! What a coincidence! You can be sure that it is purchased and downloaded. Thanks guys for the advice.

Jean

Bohuslav Wojnar

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/52698#Comment_52698

You can imagine my reaction this morning when I checked the Logos blog! What a coincidence! You can be sure that it is purchased and downloaded. Thanks guys for the advice.

Jean

Good for you [Y]

David Paul

Something I noticed about the Anchor dictionary is that the only live hotlinks in it are Bible verses. Even when it mentions other resources that I have in my Library, those links are dead. That really surprised me, and it is disappointing. One of the main reasons I bought Portfolio and other resources is not so much that I plan to read them individually, but so that when I come to a reference in the course of study I can actually engage the reference rather than wonder what it was all about.

I certainly hope that Logos will address this issue, especially considering a resource as prolifically utilized as ABD is.

*Taking my own hint, I copied this post in Suggestions.

Todd Phillips

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/52731#Comment_52731

Something I noticed about the Anchor dictionary is that the only live hotlinks in it are Bible verses. Even when it mentions other resources that I have in my Library, those links are dead. That really surprised me, and it is disappointing. One of the main reasons I bought Portfolio and other resources is not so much that I plan to read them individually, but so that when I come to a reference in the course of study I can actually engage the reference rather than wonder what it was all about.

I certainly hope that Logos will address this issue, especially considering a resource as prolifically utilized as ABD is.

*Taking my own hint, I copied this post in Suggestions.

I agree, plus it could use a lot more internal linking. Some of those articles are looong and require much scrolling to get to the section I want. The article outlines need to be linked to the subsections.

Bohuslav Wojnar

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/52751#Comment_52751

You are right Todd. But one thing that already is improved against L3 with the ABD in L4 is that you can actually type in word and enter... and you are there. It did not work for me in L3.

Andrew Loney

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/52731#Comment_52731

I don't understand this lack of links to other resources since I just finished watching a Logos created video demonstrating just that. What happened?

Jeremy

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/53045#Comment_53045

I'm guessing that the ABD is just too large of a resource to link to all of the resources a person has with Logos.

Mark Barnes

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/53396#Comment_53396

Not too large, but too old. When the ABD was published, many of the resources that it could linked to weren't available. No-one's gone back and re-tagged the ABD to the newer resources.

Vincent Setterholm

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/53396#Comment_53396

I'm guessing that the ABD is just too large of a resource to link to all of the resources a person has with Logos.

Nope, not too large. It was just done about a decade ago, which was before we had most of the other texts that one might link it to. It's pretty high on the list of books we'd like to re-visit and bring up to speed with the latest level of tagging.