Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

All the People in the Bible: An A-Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture. Richard R. Losch. 578p. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 2008. Pbk. 978-0-8028-2454-7; 2008-10804. $26.

From Adam and Eve to Peter and Paul, the Bible is full of characters. Pharaohs, prophets, kings, soldiers, slaves, merchants, mothers, mistresses, sons, daughters, heroes, heels, saints, sinners, angels, demons and many more make up a huge cast. More than 3,000 people are mentioned by name. Many are barely noted in passing, as a name in a genealogy or companion to another figure. However, for others, their full-blown personality emerges from their own writings or the frequent stories in which they appear. Keeping them all straight is no mean trick, and biblical scholars have long relied on reference tools to define relationships and summarize the roles of different figures. With this biographical dictionary, retired rector and biblical reference writer Richard Losch tackles the task anew. He divides his guide into two parts. The first consists of a selection of just over 600 individuals who played significant roles in the Bible and the Apocrypha. From Aaron and Ahab to Job’s unsupportive friend Zophar, the articles describe their actions and connections to other figures. For each person, Losch enumerates the evidence found in the books of the Bible, notes contradictory passages, relates both varying and complementary traditions and occasionally gathers related historical and archaeological data. In fact, not all the entries are necessarily named in the Bible. Numerous rulers and officials contemporary to events related in the Bible are only named by title or position. From Ramses II to Nero, Losch correlates the Bible stories to such historical figures wherever possible. A second section satisfies truth in advertising requirements by literally listing every name that appears in the Bible with their distinguishing characteristic, a pronunciation guide and the textual reference to their appearance. Supplementary materials include lists of Jewish monarchies, Seleucid emperors, Maccabean leaders, Hasmonean kings and Herodian rulers. The result is an excellent, inexpensive guide to both the central and minor characters of the Bible. This volume will serve home, pastoral, public and academic libraries well.
—John R.M. Lawrence