Walter C. Kaiser - NIV archaeological study Bible: an illustrated walk through biblical history and culture: New International Version

NIV Archaeological Study Bible An Illustrated Walk Through Biblical History And Culture
The Holy Bible, New International Version Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society Archaeological Study Bible Copyright 2005 by Zondervan All rights reserved Published by Zondervan Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530, U.S.A. www.zondervan.com ePub Format: 9780310870180 Library of Congress Catalog in Publishing data is available for the print edition of this title. The NIV Side-Column Cross-reference System, copyright 1984. The NIV Concordance, copyright 1982, 1984. Color Maps, created by Mosaic Graphics, copyright 2005. Photography: See . Cover image displays the ruins of Ephesus.

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Group, 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH, England. Permission requests for non-commercial use that exceed the above guidelines must be directed to, and approved in writing by, International Bible Society, 1820 Jet Stream Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921. Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers printed in this Bible are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this Bible. You will be pleased to know that a portion of the purchase price of your new NIV Bible has been provided to International Bible Society to help spread the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world! Table of Contents

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The books of the New Testament are indicated by italics. (circa): about, approximately cf. compare, confer ch., chs. chapter, chapters d. died e.g. for example etc. and so on ff. and following (and the verses following) i.e. that is lit. literally, literal NT New Testament OT Old Testament p., pp. page, pages r. reigned v., vv. verse, verses Note: Various standard abbreviations are used within parentheses for measures of volume, length and distance. verse, verses Note: Various standard abbreviations are used within parentheses for measures of volume, length and distance.

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is pleased to join with Zondervan in offering this unique study Bible. Together we believe that its release marks one of the most important events in recent publishing history. The NIV Archaeological Study Bible represents a remarkable achievement, with its intriguing subject matter, archaeological/cultural focus and aesthetic presentation coupled with the widely accepted New International Version text. Rarely has the publisher seen so high a degree of enthusiasm greet the introduction of a publishing concept as that which the prototype for the NIV Archaeological Study Bible received from such diverse groups as lay Christians, scholars and pastors who lent their valuable feedback. No previous generation has witnessed so high a degree of collaboration of Biblical events, persons and historical settings as we have during the past century of ongoing, successful archaeological exploration. The quantity, quality and relevancy of the artifacts and epigraphical materials impinging upon the story of the Bible from the ancient Near East have been so staggering that few have been able to incorporate them into one place, let alone link them side by side with relevant Scriptures.

We have before us a unique opportunity to see firsthand how archaeological discovery helps us to make sense of some of the heretofore difficult texts of Scripture. The role of Biblical archaeology as a hermeneutical tool is invaluable in situations in which cultural allusions and settings have in the past plainly eluded ussimply because the context belonged to another, completely foreign, place and time. Add full-color photographs of the artifacts and documents being referenced, and you begin to see how this Bible sets a new standard for Bibles in the study genre. Our prayer is that the NIV Archaeological Study Bible will bring much praise and glory to our heavenly Father, as well as that it might be used by God to entice an increasingly Biblically illiterate public back into the text of Scripture. The Biblical narrative comprises the greatest story ever told, but that story is so much more than an impersonal, third-person, ancient account. Indeed, it is both about and for each of us.

Engaging it with the eyes of renewed understanding constitutes the most substantial reality check any of us can experience. These events and persons truly are part of the real world, happenings that actually took place and individuals who truly lived within the spaces and times of which we are now the linear descendants. We invite you to join us in a personal encounter with this epic-making Bible from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Zondervan. The seminary is pleased to pioneer this venture and trusts that there will be more to come in the great days that lie ahead. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., President Colman M.

Mockler Distinguished Professor of Old Testament May 17, 2005 The Bible is not a book of abstract religious teaching. If it were, understanding its historical context would be of relatively minor importance, although even then questions about the circumstances of its composition could not be ignored. Furthermore, the Bible did not arise out of a single cultural and historical environment; it certainly is not the product of revelations given to a single man, as the Koran claims to be. If it were, understanding its historical background would be far simpler. As it is, the writing of the Bible took place over a period of more than 1,000 years. Although most if not all the writers of Scripture were Israelite or Jewish, these authors lived in a wide variety of circumstances.

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