This comprehensive volume provides detailed descriptions, illustrations, and context for many of the Bible's historical and cultural references. Bible stories are full of objects, manners, and customs that would have been easily recognized by people living in the Middle East during ancient times. Towns have their walls and gates; agriculture has its threshing instruments and carts; the tabernacle has its altars and lavers of brass. But while the terms used to describe these items were once common knowledge, they leave many modern readers wondering about their specific meanings. This volume offers a clearer understanding of the Bible through accessible information about its many historical references. Organized by subject matter, it includes chapters on everything from vegetation to coinage, matrimony, weaponry, transportation, idolatry, and holy places, among many other topics. Based on archeological research, The Illustrated Dictionary of Bible Manners & Customs helps readers attain a more vivid sense of the Bible's rich background and longstanding influence.