Society of Biblical Literature

The Society of Biblical Literature (SBL), founded in 1880 as the Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis, is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies (since 1929), with the stated mission to "foster biblical scholarship". Membership is open to the public, including over 8,500 individuals from over 80 countries.

The eight founders of The Society of Biblical Literature and Exegesis first met to discuss their new society in Philip Schaff's study in New York City in January 1880. In June the group had their first Annual Meeting with eighteen people in attendance. The new society drew up a constitution and by-laws and discussed several papers. Membership dues were set at three dollars. By the end of the year, membership had grown to forty-five and publication of the meeting proceedings were in the planning stages. The Journal of Biblical Literature (JBL) was launched the following year. The SBL was not the first association dedicated to biblical studies in North America, but it was the first that was interdenominational. The thirty-two founding members of SBL in 1880 even included a Unitarian, Ezra Abbott. The society's development was contemporary with increasing interest in Ancient Near East studies.

The Society of Biblical Literature has published the flagship Journal of Biblical Literature since 1881. In addition it publishes the journal Review of Biblical Literature. It publishes literature under the imprint SBL Press".

The SBL Handbook of Style is a style manual specifically for the field of ancient Near Eastern, biblical, and early Christian studies. The SBL Handbook of Style includes a recommended standard format for abbreviation of Primary Sources in Ancient Near Eastern, biblical, and early Christian Studies.The Chicago Manual of Style (16th ed.) refers writers to The SBL Handbook "for authoritative guidance."The Student Supplement is downloadable, and also contain recommendations for transliteration standards.

In 2011 the society was awarded a $300,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to produce Bible Odyssey, "an interactive website that brings nonsectarian biblical scholarship to the general public."

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