This book is one of six in a series that provides encyclopedic information related to the world's religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Roman Catholicism, and Protestant Christianity. Judaism covers a 3,000‐year recorded history, and is a culture that has participated in every major country and society worldwide.
There are approximately 800 entries, listed from A‐Z. Each, whether biographical or topical, is an extensive essay on the topic, with capital letters in the text indicating cross‐references to other essays available elsewhere in the encyclopedia. Each entry ends with a Further Reading section, and there is an extensive bibliography at the end of the Encyclopedia. The editors provide focus and guidance in their Introduction, which gives a brief history of Judaism up to the present day, as well as definitions regarding sacred texts, commentaries, and codes. An extensive chronological history of the Jewish people is given, before the A‐Z listing of entries. There are a generous number of photographs and illustrations, and a thorough index.
Overall, this is a good reference source for Judaism. The editors appear to be well versed in this subject area. Some of the more interesting entries include Camp David, Golda Meir, Yom Kippur War, Rabbinic Law and Kibbutz.
