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 theOxford Encyclopedia 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.
December 2011
For the December 2011 update, the editors of Oxford Biblical Studies Online are pleased to offer a newly designed website, with the aim of making content easier for users to navigate. In addition to this redesign, the December update also features 26 additional titles from the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Books of the Bible, edited by the site’s Editor in Chief Michael D. Coogan. The entries cover many important books of the Bible including Acts, Colossians, and Ecclesiastes, along with two text criticisms, one on the Hebrew Bible and one on the New Testament. All entries from the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Books of the Bible will be available from within Oxford Biblical Studies Online after the April 2012 update.
This update also includes a new thematic guide on the concept of empire in the bible. This new guide, titled Empire , by Michael J. Chan augments 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.
The December update also includes a new, Focus On feature on Hanukkah as well as two new lesson plans that demonstrate how ,Oxford Biblical Studies Online can be employed in the classroom and as a course development tool. Introduction to Proverbs by Anne W. Stewart of Emory University provides and introduction to the book of Provers and its major themes and literary forms, and Prophets and Prophecy in the Book of Kings by Kelly J. Murphy (also of Emory) examines the expressions of prophecy found within the book of Kings. 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 letter from the editor, Michael D. Coogan, discussing the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible.
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.
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, Stevan Davies explores the history of Gnosticism and its numerous different definitions and connotations. 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.
