What's New
Update program for Oxford Biblical Studies Online
A variety of regular updates and site enhancements are planned for Oxford Biblical Studies Online. One of the most exciting aspects of the current update program is that subscribers will be able to access a growing number of new articles from Editor in Chief Michael D. Coogan's growing series the Oxford Encyclopedias of the Bible. In addition to entries from this groundbreaking new work, users will also benefit from an expanding biblical art program, with new images being added in each update.
Spring 2012
For the Spring 2012 update, the editors of Oxford Biblical Studies Online are pleased to announce that all entries from the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Books of the Bible, edited by the site’s Editor in Chief Michael D. Coogan, are now available within Oxford Biblical Studies Online. To view a full list of entries from this work, please view the newly added Guide to Reference Articles.
This update also includes three new thematic guides—"The Epistle to the Romans" (by Christian Von Dehsen), "Egypt", and "Temples in the Hebrew Bible and in the Archaeological Record of Syria-Palestine" (both by Michael Chan). These new thematic guides augment a growing collection designed to provide a general introduction on many popular topics in Biblical studies including historical conflicts, movements, philosophy, people, and places. Each thematic guide walks users through a topic by providing background information and links to supporting material, such as entries, maps, and images, which will give users an even deeper understanding.
A new photo essay, The Necropolis of Ancient Jerusalem, by Jodi Magness was also added. This photo essay, intended to provide background information on important topics in the field using images as well as links to supporting material within Oxford Biblical Studies Online, discusses the rock-cut tombs and burial traditions of Ancient Jerusalem.
This update additionally sees the first of a new interview series. This introductory interview features Amy-Jill Levine, a self-described "Yankee Jewish feminist" and professor at Vanderbilt University. In this interview, Levine describes her experiences as a person raised in the Jewish tradition who became fascinated by the varying popular and scholarly interpretations of the New Testament.
Two new lesson plans that demonstrate how Oxford Biblical Studies Online can be employed in the classroom and as a course development tool were also added. "The Divine Attribute Formula in Psalms", by Hilary Kapfer of Harvard University, provides an introduction to the book of Psalms, while "Ancient Jewish Short Story" by Nicole Tilford of Emory University examines a group of texts—Ruth, Susanna, Esther, Judith, and Tobit—that can collectively be referred to as the ancient Jewish short stories. Both are excellent resources for using Oxford Biblical Studies Online in teaching. Additional lesson plans will be added to the site in future updates.
Also featured in this update is a new reference guide, providing a hyperlinked table of contents for all major works within Oxford Biblical Studies Online, as well as new links from Oxford Biblical Studies Online to Oxford Bibliographies for mutual subscribers.
Focus On
In addition to the ongoing editorial update program, the Oxford Biblical Studies Online editors commission and publish “Focus On,” a series of publicly available articles written specifically for the site by leading scholars, with bibliographies and links to Related Reading content – Bible texts and reference material – within Oxford Biblical Studies Online. In the latest Focus On feature, Ellie Bagley provides a retrospective on the 400th anniversary year of the King James Bible. Click here to read the current Focus On feature.
From the Desk of Editor in Chief Michael D. Coogan
Editor in Chief Michael D. Coogan, one of the most renowned scholars in the field of biblical study, contributes a Letter from the Editor with each update to the site. Click here to read the latest Letter from the Editor.
Update alert service
To receive notification and details regarding site updates, you can sign up for Oxford Biblical Studies Online update alerts. Simply type your preferred email address within the body of the message and send. If you cannot open an email link from your browser, send a message to biblicalstudiesonline@oup.com with the subject heading "Update Alerts." If you need to deactivate the alerting service, use the same process, but include the word "deactivate" above your email address in the message body.
