Richard R. Losch

A comprehensive gathering of persons found in the Bible, including the Apocrypha, All the People in the Bible delivers on its title: literally all of the Bible’s characters appear in this fascinating reference work. From the first article on Aaron to the final entry on Zophar, Richard Losch details each person in a lively narrative style.

In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.… (more)

NCLA Review - Richard Losch, retired rector of St. James Episcopal Church in Alabama, delivers a comprehensive work on all the persons of the Bible as well as the Apocrypha. Since much has been written on well known individuals such as Abraham, Moses and Jesus, etc., the author focuses on some of the less familiar aspects of their lives, or their effect on history and the faith with well-written and informative articles. The second part of the book is an alphabetical index of every person named in the Bible with pronunciations, brief identifications and biblical references. This is a great reference tool for all pastors, seminarians and church libraries. A "must" purchase, especially if you do not have other classic reference books such as Harper's Bible Dictionary, Oxford Guide to People & Places of the Bible or Eerdman's Dictionary of the Bible. Rating: 4 —BS Eerdmans 2008, 578p, paper, 9780802824547, $26.00 [220.92]… (more)

Why do we need yet another reference work describing Bible geography? That is a good question, and if you think the answer is “we don’tâ€?, just try convincing publishers of that.

Would I buy this one? It would not be worth my book-dollars in light of better reference works out there.

Having said that, I’ll review this book as though I don’t already own 20 reference books on the same subject.

Losch moves in alphabetical order through a description of about 75 places, regions, cities, and towns. The majority of entries receive between 1-3 pages each.

The positive qualities:

(1) The page layout is eye-pleasing.

(2) The actual writing is good. For a reference work, the style is lively.

(3) Lesser-known places in Palestine are given new light. For example, do you know what Palestinian town/city is mentioned the most, second only to Jerusalem? Bethel. And what about Peniel? It is only mentioned once in the Bible, but still gets a full page. Nob gets a nod too.

(4) A good number of the places are outside of Palestine.

(5) Some of the places are not even mentioned in the Bible. For example, Qumran, Sepphoris, and Nabatea.

Negative aspects:
(1) Reference works are normally written by an entire host of authors, and as a result are able to pull from the scholarly minds of many rather than one.

(2) Almost no pictures whatsover. Just a few B&W shots of inconsequential things (i.e. some shepherds with sheep). I think the publication budget should have received a few more dollars. A picture is worth the proverbial 1,000 words. On one hand, maybe I shouldn’t fault a book for what it doesn’t claim to be - an illustrated reference work - and yet, one of the purposes of the review is to inform you of whether this is money well-spent. Not including pictures severely limits this book from rising to the top of the pile.… (more)