Who's Who in the Bible

by Peter Calvocoressi, James Michie (Editor)

While providing biographies of over 450 biblical characters in the Old and New Testaments and the Apocrypha, this book lists and locates particular works of art that have contributed to their continuing fame. It also provides comment on, and appraisal of, many of the biblical characters and, in particular, shows how the Bible's stories and personalities have reappeared in literature and art over the last 2000 years.

Genres: Religion, Christian

Paperback

First published January 4, 1988

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This interesting and useful reference book is worth dipping in to, or even reading through, as I did intermittently. It is full of information and names you likely did not know before (e.g. who were Huz and Buz?). It is good at differentiating between information found in the Bible from other sources and legends. The inclusion of references to artworks — visual, musical and literary — depicting the personages is especially worthwhile, and looking up the images online while reading is fun. An omission I regretted is etymology; there is no material on the origin or meanings of the Hebrew names. The entries are mostly compact and well written, but some are outsized; at 11 pages, the entry for Paul is the longest.

This is a type of reference work eclipsed by the internet, where everything is instantly look up-able. But there is a pleasure lost, of perusing and exploring the byways of an area of interest. It is a different, more diffused way of acquiring knowledge.