Every reader of the Bible has encountered the powerful, comforting and
sometimes puzzling imagery of Scripture. These concrete pictures with
their hidden force have struck sharp and lasting impressions on our
minds. Their imprint has etched itself on the language and grammar of
Christian faith and Western culture.
Whey then do traditional Bible dictionaries and reference works offer to
little help to explorers of the Bible's galaxy of verbal pictures? They
excel in describing the climate, borders and location of Galilee or
Sinai. But they are often blind to the artistic expressions and deaf to
the musical meanings that echo from within the world of the biblical
text.
The Dictionary of Bible Imagery is the first contemporary reference work
dedicated to exploring the images, symbols, motifs, metaphors and
literary patterns found in the Bible. More than that, it examines the
Bible's universal archetypes or master images - including the plot
motifs and character types that recur throughout life, literature and
the Bible.
The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery explores the dazzling variety in
which the Word of God comes dressed in the clothes of everyday life. It
traces the trail of images from Eden to the New Jerusalem. It captures
the plotted patterns of biblical narrative. It surveys the imaged
texture of each book of the Bible.
Here is a Bible dictionary with a difference - an inviting, enlightening
and indispensable companion to the reading, study, contemplation and
enjoyment of the Bible.
