The ''Journal of Biblical Literature'' (''JBL'') is one of three
academic journal
An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and ...
s published by the
Society of Biblical Literature
The Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), founded in 1880 as the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis, is an American-based learned society dedicated to the academic study of the Bible and related ancient literature. Its current stated mis ...
(SBL). First published in 1881, ''JBL'' is the flagship journal of the field. ''JBL'' is published quarterly and includes scholarly articles, critical notes, and book reviews by members of the Society. ''JBL'' is available on line as well as in print.
''JBL'' has a moving window of
Open Access
Open access (OA) is a set of principles and a range of practices through which research outputs are distributed online, free of access charges or other barriers. With open access strictly defined (according to the 2001 definition), or libre op ...
. Aside from the current issue, the past three years of ''JBL'' are freely available to the public in PDF form, after registering on the SBL website. Previous issues, back to 1881, are available in the
JSTOR
JSTOR (; short for ''Journal Storage'') is a digital library founded in 1995 in New York City. Originally containing digitized back issues of academic journals, it now encompasses books and other primary sources as well as current issues of j ...
Arts and Sciences III collection."
History
The journal was originally published under the title ''Journal of the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis''. The current name was adopted with volume 9 (1890).
At the fourth meeting, on 29 December 1881, the SBL council voted to print 500 copies of a journal, including the full text of papers read at the society's annual June meetings.
''JBL'' was, at first, an annual serial, from 1882 to 1905 (though two serials appeared in each of 1886 and 1887). ''JBL'' became semiannual from 1906 to 1911, and has been quarterly since 1912 (with a hiatus in 1915 and exceptional years with only two serials).
In 1916, the SBL secretary passed on to the members a communication, from the Third Assistant Postmaster General of the United States, refusing to give the ''JBL'' the second-class rate discount for scholarly journals, "on the ground that it was not scientific."
[Saunders, Ernest W., 'Journal', in chapter 8]
'Of the Making of Books'
of ''Searching the Scriptures: A History of the Society of Biblical Literature, 1880-1980'', (Chico: Scholars' Press, 1982).
"The Journal of the Society for Biblical Literature in the United States was published in Leipzig through World War I down to the Nazi period—yet for the most part this feature showed up only when it became a problem for delivery after Germany began to be devastated after 1916."
[
Martin E. Marty]
Review of ''Searching the Scriptures''
''Journal of Biblical Literature'' 103 (1984): 85-88.
Samuel Sharpe
Samuel Sharpe, or Sharp (1801 – 23 May 1832), also known as Sam Sharpe, was an enslaved Jamaican who was the leader of the widespread 1831–32 Baptist War slave rebellion (also known as the Christmas Rebellion) in Jamaica.
He was proclai ...
, an English
ordained minister and
egyptologist was editor of a journal also called ''Journal of Biblical Literature'', published from London prior to the establishment of SBL and its journal.
Editors
''JBL'' editors:
[
''Searching the Scriptures'']
Appendix V
Editors of the ''Journal of Biblical Literature''
*Note: the title ''editor'' was introduced in 1938, the SBL secretary fulfilling the role in prior years.
See also
*''
Review of Biblical Literature''
*''
SBL Forum''
References
{{Reflist
External links
Back Issues of JBL— open access to last three years of JBL, excepting current issue.
JSTORall back issues from 1881.
ubscription required*Harold W. Attridge and James C. VanderKam (eds)
''Presidential Voices: The Society of Biblical Literature in the Twentieth Century'' Society of Biblical Literature, 2006.
Other sources
*AE Harvey, 'Learned Journals - New Testament Studies: Journal for the Study of the New Testament. Journal of Biblical Literature.', ''
Times Literary Supplement'' 5426 (30 March 2007): 23-24.
*Ernest W. Saunders, ''Searching the Scriptures: A History of the Society of Biblical Literature 1880–1980'', (Chico: Scholars Press, 1982).
Quarterly journals
Publications established in 1881
Academic journals published by learned and professional societies
Biblical studies journals
1881 establishments in the United States