Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library (42 vols.)

The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library is designed to be a third major component of the Anchor Yale Bible group, which also includes the Anchor Yale Bible Commentary Series (AYBC) and the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (AYBD). While the dictionary and the commentaries are structurally defined by their subject matter, the Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library serves as a supplement on the cutting edge of the most recent scholarship. The scope and reach are nothing less than the biblical world in its totality, and its methods and techniques the most up-to-date available or devisable. Separate volumes deal with topics relating to the Bible from a variety of sub-disciplines: anthropology, archaeology, ecology, economy, geography, history, languages and literatures, philosophy, religion, and theology.

As with the Anchor Yale Bible commentary series and the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, the philosophy underlying the Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library finds expression in the following: the approach is scholarly, the perspective is balanced and fair-minded, the methods are scientific, and the goal is to inform and enlighten. Contributors are chosen on the basis of their scholarly skills and achievements, and they come from a variety of religious backgrounds and communities. The books in the Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library are intended for the broadest possible readership, ranging from world-class scholars, whose qualifications match those of the authors, to general readers who may not have special training in studying the specific disciplines but are as enthusiastic as any dedicated professional in expanding their knowledge of the Bible and its world.

This series is committed to producing volumes in the tradition established half a century ago by the founders of the Anchor Yale Bible, William Foxwell Albright and David Noel Freedman. It aims to present the best contemporary scholarship in a way that is accessible not only to scholars but also to the educated non-specialist. It is committed to the work of sound philological and historical scholarship, supplemented by insight from modern methods, such as sociological and literary criticism. Contributors include Joseph Blenkinsopp, Raymond E. Brown, James H. Charlesworth, John P. Meier, Susan Ackerman, Luke Timothy Johnson, and more.