Over 8,000 members from every continent provide a forum to test ideas and advance the understanding of the Bible's role in the public arena. Most members teach Bible at a public or private university or seminary but many are publishers, writers, librarians or have other careers. SBL has a vibrant student membership. See their discussion list for information about their activities.

SBL invites all those who share in our mission to foster critical thinking and scholarship about biblical texts to join.

See our Society News pages and the SBL Forum for more information on the activities of the society.

We encourage anyone interested in biblical scholarship to join the Society. Membership comes with the following benefits:

• Access to the entire Journal of Biblical Literature archive housed in JSTOR. 
• Access to up-to-date scholarship, book reviews and digital resources such as The SBL Handbook of Style 
• Listing in and access to the online Membership Directory 
• Opportunity to participate in governance through appointment or election* 
• Invitation to propose papers for the Annual and International Meetings * 
• Discounts for software, subscriptions, books, and SBL meeting registration and travel.
• Eligible to volunteer to review a book for the Review of Biblical Literature

* Not available to associate members

View the benefits of membership >>