Introduction
The dictionary of the bible, a five volume biblical encyclopedia, was published between 1898 and 1904. The dictionary of the bible deals with language and literature contents, as well as the biblical theology. It was abridged by James Hastings with the help of John Selbie. Other authors were contracted to assist with the revision of proofs. The entries in the four volumes of the dictionary are divided alphabetically. The dictionary has a fifth volume that was published in 1904. The fifth volume is devoted to extra articles, maps and indexes. Although the book is described as a dictionary, the collection is better described as an encyclopedia. It features long articles that are signed by the authors.
The articles are sometimes quite a few pages long. The dictionary feature substantial work written in five quarto volumes of about nine hundred pages each. All the articles in the dictionary are not authored by one person. More precisely, there are one hundred and ninety four authors of various articles in the dictionary. All these authors were renowned scholars in their day. They generally comprise of protestant Christians from various countries. However, most of them hail from the United Kingdom along with the United States of America. The subject matter of the articles was Old and New Testaments in addition to the Old Testament Apocrypha. The articles feature the archaeology and antiquities of the bible, geology and natural history, the ethnology of the bible and biblical theology and ethics.
Article on baptism by C. A. Scott
The article was authored by Anderson C. Scott. He was a reverend and a scholar. He had a Masters of Arts in Theology and was a professor of New Testament literature at the Westminster College in Cambridge. His article on baptism demystifies the origin and that which appertains to baptism in the New Testament. The author says that baptism has a wide meaning. Among some of the meanings include the ceremonial Jewish washings, the technical perspective of the religious ceremony of initiation and in a metaphorical sense to mean plunged in calamity. Throughout the article, the author quotes various verses of the New Testament to back his arguments. From the article, I learn of the significance of baptism to Christians and its connection to Jesus.
The article on Barnabas by Tasker, G
The article was authored by reverend John G. Tasker. Apart from being a reverend, the author was also a scholar. He was a professor of Exegesis and biblical literature in Handsworth College in Birmingham the United Kingdom. The author explains the significance of the name Barnabas, the surname given to Joseph, the Levite by the Apostles. His first recorded deed was the sale of his property and devoting the proceeds of the sale to cater to the needs of the Christian community. The author further explains the etymology of the name Barnabas, which means a son of comfort, and how his noble deeds were in accordance with that meaning. The author further highlights the union under the gospel of Paul and Barnabas and their eventual fall out over a sharp contention abut John Mark. The article then tells of how they went to work differently. The articles teaches me of the selflessness innate in us when we believe in a course.
The article on Bartimaeus by David Smith
The article narrates the story of the blind man Jesus healed at the gates of Jericho on his way to last Passover. The article gives accounts of the story from the perspective of two authors of the gospels, Matthew and Luke. According to the author, Matthew gives a compressed account of what happened in Jericho while Luke is extravagant with words. The article is authored by David Smith, a reverend and a minister at Blairgowrie. From his article, I learn of the servant leadership that Jesus exhibited when he stopped to heal this blind man as he was on his way to the last supper.
Bibliography
Hastings, James, Frederick C. Grant, and H. H. Rowley. Dictionary of the Bible. New York: Macmillan Pub. Co. 1988
