Free access to 54 volumes of encyclopedias

Move over Wikipedia. There are some other encyclopedias on the internet available for free access too.

1. Encyclopedia Judaica. The Biblical Studies and Technology Tools blog announced today,

I don't seem to have found a link to this on any of the usual sites I frequent, so it perhaps may also be helpful to you to bookmark this link for free access to the complete, 22 volumes worth, $2263 at Amazon set, 2nd edition of 2007, Encyclopedia Judaica. (That's the link to the entrance page for the Jewish Community Association of Austin where you will find the acknowledgment of the sponsor for this online edition and the password needed to access the site.)

While this encyclopedia covers the whole spectrum of Jewish experience up to the present, there is still a ton of biblical stuff readers of this blog may be interested in checking out. Peruse the hundreds of maps, a 44 page "Land of Israel: Geographical Survey," a 6 page article on "Mikveh," 18 pages on "Aramaic," 6 pages on "Jesus" by David Flusser, and information on virtually any location in Israel or the Jewish diaspora (e.g., Capernaum with a diagram of the synagogue or Corinth or Dura-Europos). To see the maps and illustrations in full size, you will want to download the PDF files instead of viewing the HTML page. You can have the page read out loud to you (!), but more helpful are the download and Citation Tools to help you get the bibliographic data you need. This is definitely an outstanding online resource you should have bookmarked.

2. Encylopedia Britannica. If you're not aware, as a "web publisher," many bloggers are eligible for free access to the complete 32-volume Encyclopedia Britannica online. Click here to learn more and apply.

These are both generous offers. The two sets together offer 54 volumes of scholarly material and could prove very helpful for biblical research and sermon prep.