Journal of Biblical Literature

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1. General Information

1.1. The Journal of Biblical Literature (JBL) is a quarterly periodical that promotes critical and academic biblical scholarship. Bringing the highest level of technical expertise to bear on the canon, cognate literature, and the historical matrix of the Bible, JBL has stood as the flagship journal of biblical studies for more than a century. Submissions to JBL are, therefore, expected to make a significant contribution to academic biblical studies that rigorously examines the primary sources, applies appropriate methodology, and engages the breadth of the field’s secondary literature. Authors should be careful to attend to all relevant scholarly literature, including non-English scholarship and the work of scholars often underrepresented in the guild, such as women and scholars of color.

1.2. All articles submitted for publication are expected to conform to the requirements set forth here. If a manuscript departs from these instructions in major ways, it will be returned to the author for corrections before it enters the peer-review process. Note that failure to adhere to these guidelines will result in delays in the processing of a submitted manuscript, or rejection if the problems are not addressed in a timely manner.

1.2. The directives of The SBL Handbook of Style, 2nd ed. (Atlanta: SBL Press, 2014) (abbreviated SBLHS) are to be followed, supplemented by The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017). The American style of spelling is to be used. See SBLHS §3 for a list of authorities for spelling.

1.4. Manuscripts should be submitted online in searchable PDF format (not Microsoft Word) through Scholastica by clicking on the previous link or using the red “Submit Manuscript” button at the top of this page. A Scholastica account will be created as the first step. An abstract (no more than 200 words) of the proposed article will also be required at the time of submission. For an overview of working with Scholastica as an author, please consult the author guide provided by Scholastica. Any technical or software questions should be directed to Scholastica customer support. Manuscripts are no longer accepted by email or in hard copy.

1.5. A manuscript should be submitted in what the author intends as its final form. However, if the author realizes there is an error in a submitted manuscript, the author should contact the [JBL managing editor](mailto: jblme@sbl-site.org) about updating the manuscript, which will only be permitted if the manuscript has not yet been sent out for review. Manuscripts should not be withdrawn and resubmitted for the purpose of correcting errors.

1.6. By submitting a manuscript to JBL for review, the author certifies that it is not being submitted simultaneously to another journal. Authors should not submit manuscripts that have appeared previously, that will appear elsewhere, or whose substance has appeared or will appear in print elsewhere, whether in English or in another language.

1.7. Due to the volume of submissions JBL receives, an author may only submit one manuscript at a time. If multiple submissions are received, JBL staff will ask the author to withdraw all but one.

1.8. During the peer-review process, the confidential nature of the submission will be protected. The author can assist by not citing his or her own work in the article and by omitting any acknowledgments or reference to previous versions or presentations of the essay.

1.9. Manuscripts submitted for consideration by JBL must comply with the SBL Policy on Scholarly Presentation and Publication of Ancient Artifacts. Authors whose submissions discuss specific artifacts or manuscripts or serve as the initial publication for such materials should familiarize themselves with this policy. JBL staff will contact authors after submission if further information is needed to demonstrate adherence to the policy.

1.10. The length of the review process varies based on many factors, including recent volume of submissions, whether it is a first-time submission or a resubmission, and the timeliness of the reviewers. For 2025, we had our highest number of submissions ever, and the overall average time from submission to a decision was seven months. For initial submissions that go through the full peer-review process, the average was just over seven months; resubmissions receive expedited review, and the average last year was six months for a decision. Authors will receive notification via Scholastica and email once a decision has been reached. Questions regarding the status of a submission should be directed to the [JBL managing editor](mailto: jblme@sbl-site.org).

1.11. Authors of manuscripts selected for publication will receive one set of electronic page proofs, which they are expected to read carefully, check against the manuscript, correct, and return promptly. Authors will also receive a digital offprint of their article and a copy of the issue upon publication.

1.11. The SBL Press Open-Access Policy applies to JBL and governs options for sharing published articles. A standard eighteen-month embargo is in place, but this may be shortened or eliminated through gold open access. See the policy for more information.

2. Form of the Manuscript

2.1. The maximum length of a submission is 10,000 words, including footnotes, roughly equivalent to 38–40 pages following the specifications in 2.2. Manuscripts that exceed this word limit will be returned to the author for revision.

2.2. Manuscripts should be double-spaced and in a standard 12-point font (including footnotes), such as Times New Roman, with margins of 1 to 1.25 inches on all sides.

2.3. Non-Latin scripts such as Hebrew and Greek must be provided in a Unicode font such as SBL Hebrew and SBL Greek, which are available for download from SBL.

2.4. Special material (e.g., lists, tables, diagrams) should be included in the manuscript where it is to appear in the main text, using a word processor’s table function.

2.5. Words to be printed in italics (e.g., titles of books and periodicals, foreign words) should be italicized in the manuscript.

2.6. Overcapitalization is to be avoided (e.g., biblical, temple). See SBLHS §§ 4.3.2.3 and 4.3.6.

2.7. Abbreviations should follow SBLHS §8, including abbreviations for primary sources (§8.1–3) and for reference works and serials (§8.4). Titles not found in SBLHS should be written out in full.

2.8. Manuscripts should not have a cover page.

2.9. JBL publishes manuscripts in English only. Non-English quotations of any length should be accompanied by an English translation.

3. Quotations

3.1. Block quotations (five or more lines) in any language should be printed as a single-spaced, separate indented paragraph without opening and closing quotation marks in the same font and point size as the normal text.

3.2. Shorter quotations (four or fewer lines) require quotation marks in the same font and point size as the normal text.

3.3. Authors are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of verbatim quotations, including the exact reproduction of spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and abbreviations, even if they differ from the style of this journal. For correcting errors in quotations, see SBLHS §2.1.4.

4. Citation Style and Footnotes

4.1. Manuscripts submitted to JBL should follow the traditional footnote documentation style outlined in SBLHS §6. However, authors should not include a bibliography with their submission; full publication information must be included in the first citation for each source. Manuscripts submitted using the author-date system will be returned to the author for revision.

4.2. Authors should use the footnote function of their word processer to create the footnotes (please do not use endnotes). Footnotes should be in 12-point font and double-spaced. A raised Arabic numeral (without punctuation or parentheses) should follow the appropriate sentence in the main text (and its punctuation, if any) to call attention to the note.

4.3. Multiple notes within one sentence should be avoided. When several names requiring bibliographic references occur in one sentence, only one footnote should be placed at the end of the sentence, which includes pertinent references to all the names. For examples, see the discussion at the SBL Handbook of Style blog.

4.4. When a note includes a bibliographical reference within a sentence, the reference should be set entirely within parentheses, not commas, and if possible at the end of the sentence. Example: But Charles C. Torrey thinks that the name “Cyrus” has been interpolated in Isa 45:1 (“The Messiah Son of Ephraim,” JBL 66 [1947]: 253).

4.5. Footnotes should include the full name of the author or editor cited, unless he or she uses only initials.

5. Ancient Languages

5.1. Ordinarily, Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Coptic should not be transliterated but given in the proper characters in Unicode fonts. The unpointed consonantal text of Hebrew or Aramaic is to be used, unless the argument calls for the vocalized form of the words. Quotations of modern authors, however, should follow the form of the ancient text that occurs in the source.

5.2. An English translation normally accompanies at least the first occurrence of any Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, or Coptic word or phrase.

5.3. In cases where transliteration seems appropriate, the systems specified in SBLHS §5, should be used. For Hebrew, use the academic style in §5.1.1.

(rev. date 3/27/2026)