Introducing B&I’s Redesigned Website

By B&I Editors
November 2026

Welcome to the redesigned website of The Bible and Interpretation, a freely accessible resource for research on the Bible and the ancient Near East. We bring specialist scholarship to scholars, teachers, students, and interested readers through clear writing, informed analysis, and substantive debate.

         For more than a quarter-century, B&I has connected researchers with a wider public. Its archive now encompasses approximately 1,200 articles by nearly 600 contributors. Authors include Hector Avalos, Helen K. Bond, Bruce Chilton, Eric H. Cline, Philip R. Davies, Ronald Hendel, Niels Peter Lemche, Beth Alpert Nakhai, Mark S. Smith, Margreet L. Steiner, and James D. Tabor, alongside many other established and emerging scholars.

         Conceived by Mark Elliott and J. Edward Wright, with the original website designed by Vicki Cox, B&I was launched in January 2000. Wright’s sustained commitment has been crucial to the site’s success, particularly during the many years preceding its recent revitalization. He read every article and discussed publication decisions with Elliott, edited submissions, invited scholars to contribute, and helped mediate discussions. Jennie R. Ebeling has also played a substantial role, writing and editing articles, recruiting archaeologists as contributors, and participating in editorial review and publication decisions.

         Early contributions by Bruce Chilton, Paul V. M. Flesher, and Steven L. McKenzie helped establish the site’s range, from the historical Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls to the history of ancient Israel. Chilton continues to contribute today. Flesher, of the University of Wyoming, became an important editor, writer, and supporter of the site. Patricia Landy joined early as an editor and provided valuable proofreading for years. Jim West also helped proofread articles. Institutional involvement over the years has included Laramie County Community College, the University of Wyoming, and the University of Arizona’s Judaic Studies unit.

         B&I has hosted major discussions of biblical history and archaeology, the minimalist–maximalist controversy, the linguistic dating of biblical texts, and the historical Jesus. Debates over the James Ossuary and Jehoash inscription have raised questions about authenticity and the study of antiquities, alongside broader exchanges involving Biblical Archaeology Review, the antiquities trade, and the ethics of studying and publishing artifacts of uncertain provenance. Discussions of the Talpiot tombs, The Passion of the Christ, and media sensationalism have examined how biblical history and interpretation reach the public. Other contributions address teaching the Bible in public schools and the public use and misuse of biblical texts. Alongside these debates, readers will find research on biblical literature, ancient languages, manuscripts, religion, daily life, and the reception of biblical traditions.

         Our purpose remains consistent: to make scholarship accessible without compromising scholarly standards. We welcome differing conclusions grounded in careful analysis, distinguish evidence from interpretation and speculation, and assess contributions through editorial review. We also acknowledge that, in retrospect, we may occasionally have published articles that we should have declined. Our approach is nonsectarian and non-apologetic: arguments are evaluated on their evidence and methods, independently of contributors’ personal religious beliefs or affiliations.

         Special thanks go to James R. Davila, James F. McGrath, James D. Tabor, and Jim West for supporting B&I over many years by contributing articles and highlighting the site’s content on their own biblical studies websites. Such support stretches back to the site’s early years and has continued, in some cases, for decades. We also thank Todd Bolen of BiblePlaces.com for generously allowing us to use many of his photographs to illustrate B&I articles over the years. Martin Ehrensvärd and Robert Rezetko have more recently joined the editorial team and hope to help sustain B&I’s work in the years ahead. We thank all the authors, editors, supporters, and readers who have made this continuing exchange possible.

         We also thank Danae Monique Pantoja and her team in UITS Web Services—Strategy & Support at the University of Arizona for undertaking the website redesign, and David L. Graizbord of the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies for his continued support of B&I.

         Explore our articles and authors, archaeological excavation links, and online research resources. The redesigned site continues at the same address: https://bibleinterp.arizona.edu. We invite you to read, share, and join the discussion.