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Summary: Walking the Bible...
Review: I liked this book so much that I even read it while on red lights. This book is about a journey into the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Torah) and the author begins with an adventurous geographical quest and ends with a very touching spiritual one. The language that Bruce Feiler (a young American Jew who lives in New York) uses is so descriptive that reading this book is like virtually taking the journey with him. It was so neat to read it! It was also very nice to learn about the Hebraic religious system and the roots of Christianity. Aside from learning with profound interest about The Bible, Abraham, Moses, the Bedouin (his wife's tribe), the Middle East, the desert, Archeology, and much more, I also discovered that there is a personal and unique lesson for everyone to learn by the time you get to the end of the book. Find out which one is yours! In the end, I found myself inquiring as to Who my God is and what type of relationship I have with Him or if I have one. I also learned to have a total new perspective in understanding or making sense of the Bible as well as humanity. PS: If you read this book, you will learn to have a better understanding of what is going on in the Middle East. You will also discover that what is going on there has been going on for more than a couple thousands of years. There is a part in the Bible that says that nothing that is happening now or will happen, has not happened before. I don't understand this well but it must have to do with the circles of life! Maybe??? So, I believe that there is nothing new in life and that what we are facing now, happened even way back when Moses was leading his people out to the promise land. It appears to me that the hatred of terrorists is the hatred that generations in those areas have passed along to the newer generation; until here, today in America, and with the rest of the world, we are harvesting the hatred that those generations have sown. In fact, I see Osama bin Laden as the pure body and flesh of the hatred of all of those years of wars and fights.
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Summary: A Refreshing New Pilgrimage Through the Bible's Stories
Review: Walking the Bible is an absorbing & informative travel memoir of Feiler's journeys through the first five books of the Old Testament. Feiler presents a refreshingly different perpective on this subject because he admittedly comes to the project as a young, semi-inactive-in-the-faith Jewish man. What he learns through the trip by reading, interacting, and observing doesn't seem to give him concrete "proof" of the historical veracity of the events, but nonetheless leads him down a path to understanding faith and to realization of the enormous meaning found within the Holy Land. His appreciation for that land and the conflict and beauty found within it are apparent throughout the book, and I found that appreciation to be contagious. The best thing about this book is that it enlightens and entertains on spiritual, historical, and travel adventure levels. Scholarly views on the interpretation of Biblical events as well as the geography and culture of the Holy Land are researched and well-presented. Avner Goren was a fantastic guide/mentor who has a greater knowledge of pre-historic and Biblical archaeology than most anyone else around -- his input is priceless. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a thirst for more knowledge about Old Testament times in the Holy Land, and particularly to those in their 20s or 30s who may come to the book with backgrounds similar to that of Feiler. I learned quite a bit, particularly in regards to the motivations of Israeli immigrants and Judaistic views on God's interaction with his people during Exodus. And yet that book does not proselytize in any way -- it simply presents the experiences on the journey. As to those reviewers who critize Feiler's undertaking of the Biblical journey as unoriginal: "Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it." - C.S. Lewis, MERE CHRISTIANITY I believe that most people will walk away from reading this book glad that they read it, laden with new information and, perhaps, new questions.
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Summary: FANTASTIC!!
Review: I just finished reading this book. INCREDIBLE! The author takes two years to walk through the Pentateuch (literally), meets all kind of people in the Middle East, does tremendous research into everything from geography to Bible history to Middle Eastern hospitality traditions, and serves the whole thing up as a delightful story and journey. His guide is a man named Avner who seems to know everyone who has any passion or interest in the Middle East. As he encounters God in the desert you encounter God with him.This was an intellectual and a faith building feast. I can't express how thankful I am for this book.
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Summary: A Great Journey
Review: _Walking the Bible_ is one of the best non-fiction, non-academic books about the Bible (or at least the section it discusses) I've come across. Half travelogue, half history and commentary, Feiler reveals his vast prior and aquired knowledge of both the Middle East and the Pentateuch. On page 75, Feir says, "Two thousand years later, it seems safe to say that the Bible, besides its ability to inspire piety and devotion, has also promted more toutism than any other work in history." The fact that he is touring the major sites in the first five books only emphasises that point. Every time he and his traveling companion, archaeologist Avner Goren, reach a major site, they open their Bibles and read the section that corresponds - informing the reader of the story, its importance, and theories that revolve around both the place and the event. The best thing about the book, aside from the largely informative aspect, is the author's own personal journey. Although not numerous, the personal sections were engaging to read, seeing how Feiler reacts to each step; as a "disengaged" Jew, it was very interesting to find him connecting with the land, with stories that he had written off, and also - eventually - with God. The reader is dragged along with him into hermit caves, bedouin camps, desert oases, and border crossings, and his language and descriptions bring the landscape to life. As I mentioned, it is not an academic book, so don't expect pages of notes or bibliography, but there is a short section at the end that describes many of the author's sources in a unique format. Most were familiar to me, and I would recommend them all to anyone who found the topic engaging. What a fantastic endeavor!
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Summary: A Thoughtful Journey to the Holy Land and Beyond
Review: Walking the Bible by Bruce Feiler is an account of the author's journey to many of the famous places of the Bible, from Jerusalem, the Red Sea, Mt. Sinai ,Turkey and beyond. The concept of the book is certainly not original and anyone looking for a true history of the area won't find it here. What the reader will find is thoughtful, insightful , well-written look at a ancient region of undeniable importance to a large portion of the global population. Feiler did not intend his journey to be purely spiritual in nature but it's quite interesting to observe his spiritual renewal and growth during the course of this book. Feiler's observations and commentaries are well-balanced, accurate and fair. Whether you are a Jew, Christian or Muslim or member of another faith, this book has much to offer.
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Summary: A well guided journey
Review: Bruce Feiler's work stands out among other books I have read for a handful of reasons, the most notable being the weak sense of his own purpose at the outset of the traveling that would comprise the book. Feiler, a fifth-generation American Jew from the South, had felt no particular attachment to the Bible or to the Holy Land. "At weddings and funerals the words I heard and recited were just that- words. They had no meaning to me. No context."
In what seems an extravagant gesture, Feiler accompanied by notable scholar Avner Goren, part Mr. Miyagi and part Mr. Magoo, sets out to use the holy land and other locations of the Bible as a sort of touchstone, hoping to graft a meaning and connection of the scriptures onto himself. In that objective Feiler is partially successful as he does come to gain a deep connection and appreciation for the people and places of what were once just words to him. But instead of finding this expected insight through his wanderlust it is actually his inner voyages where he makes these true discovery. Rather than the process being one of grafting, it is in fact one of awakening or uncovering.
Following the chronological structure of the Bible, Feiler creates a work of substance, far more than a glorified travel diary. Perhaps his greatest strength is knowing the questions to ask people he meets along his way, both academic and lay, and his openness to their responses.
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Summary: Although Not A Scholarly Treatise-It Still Merits Reading
Review: Although Walking The Bible: A Journey By Land Through The Five Books Of Moses authored by Bruce Feiler certainly does not qualify as a scholarly treatise, it nonetheless merits reading. For many of us it will initiate a new appreciation of the Old Testament as well as man's relation to God. The author, guided by the Israeli renowned archaeologist, Avner Goren, attempt to retrace the Bible through Africa and the Middle East. Their travels are not only geographical in character, but also spiritual, that invariably piques our curiosity.
Using the Five Books of Moses, also called the Pentateuch (from the Greek word meaning five-book work), as a kind of road map or compass, we voyage to Turkey, Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Egypt, Sinai and finally to Mount Nebo in Jordan where supposedly Moses dies. From the very onset we are informed that there is no archaeological evidence to relate any of the events in the Five Books to specific places. In other words, if we use the Bible as a map we would be facing often-contradictory claims of history, myth, legend, archaebiology, paleozoology, and faith. For example, there are many theories as to where exactly Mount Sinai is located.
Moreover, the exact path the Israelites pursued through the Sinai has never been determined. However, even with all of these shortcomings, the author and his guide undertake a "topographical midrash, a geographical exegesis of the Bible." As pointed out, "in Judaism, the traditional process of analyzing scripture is called midrash, from the Hebrew meaning search out to investigate; in Christianity, this process is referred to as exegesis."
The voyage kicks off in Turkey, and from the very onset the author perceives the land of the Bible as reaching up to him and touching him, "elbowing aside my preconceived views of the Bible as a sterile collection of stores set in places I couldn't see, involving characters I couldn't relate to, experiencing desires I didn't have. What emerged was a vibrant view of the Bible as a collection of living tableux, set in actual places, involving genuine people, experiencing the most basic human desires: the longing to live in a place, with their own beliefs and their own aspirations."
The author arrives at the realization that he actually is part of the story and he casts aside the notion of the Bible as something of a metaphor. The actual experiencing of the scenery of the dessert, the mountains and the Sea, as well as the interrelation with the peoples inhabiting the various countries visited serves as a reinforcement of this insight.
The viewing of ancient sites such as the Pyramids and coming into contact with the Bedouins, definitely can invoke powerful emotions. One of the shortcomings of the book is that from time to time I found the author wandering in his thoughts in the same manner the Israelites wandered in the dessert for forty years!
In all probability the book could have been shortened with less of the author's introspection and self-questioning that at times I found irritable and monotonous.
There was also a tendency to resort to trite descriptions of landscape features that should have been avoided.
However, notwithstanding these deficiencies, the book is informative as it briefly touches on many disciplines including geography, history, religious study, sociology, anthropology and archaeology.
If you are planning a trip to this part of the world or if you are an armchair traveler, the book will prove worthwhile and enlightening. This review first appeared on reviewer's own site --This text refers to the Paperback edition
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Summary: Go On A Journey
Review: I sure am glad I bought this book - just happened to see it in a bookstore and was curious. No disappointment here. I curled up in an armchair and read it straight thru, it was such a pleasure. The author takes us on foot, literally, thru the Bible lands and into an ancient world. This is real information, very exciting, and uplifting. Thru this book I have now crossed the Red Sea, rode a camel, climbed Mt. Sinai, and literally felt I was taking the walk too. An armchair traveller's delight. People of all faiths can read this wonderful book. This part of the world is so mysterious. Thanks Mr. Feiler, for taking that long long walk and sharing it with us.
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Summary: More a travelogue than history, but fun to read
Review: Bruce Feiler's book is more "My Travels in the Mideast" rather than a history or archaeology book. He takes a camel ride to find Mount Sinai and makes the interesting point that the exact mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments is not known. He visits a monastery nearby and sees a bush considered to be "the burning bush" because of its bright berries. He barges in on famous Egyptologist Zawai Hawass and brandishes Hawass' gilt-lettered card to get into a pyramid. This is a fun travelogue but a bit disappointing in some ways--it drags on and on in some parts. Still, it's engaging in the way all good travel books are and makes you wish you had been along on the trip.
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Summary: Practicing Peripatetic Theosis Ecstatically!
Review: ... I wish there were a book like this for EVERY religion! What a wonderful way to learn about religion in general, and the Bible in particular. Someone from every faith should write a similar book about their particular spiritual path. It would be great to have a "Walking the Vedas," or "Walking the Sutras," or "Walking the Koran," or "Walking the Tao," or even "Walking with The Great Spirit." How about "Walking with Aristotle, Heraclitus, Pythagoras, Socrates, and Zeno of Elea?" Now, that would be something! Bruce Feiler may have started a great trend here! ... I found this book to be fascinating. It brings the first five books of the Bible - what Hebrew people refer to as The Torah - alive and relevant to the reader. It's like a chronological trek through biblical time; like the ultimate geography lesson in relation to the Hebrew, Christian, and Muslim God. Indeed, it brings back to life the very act of practicing peripatetic theosis ecstatically! Socrates and Aristotle would be proud. Bruce (the author) and his buddy Avner (his archaeological guide) go on a journey together that takes us all along for the ride, and we all learn more about the people and places of the Bible along the way. I simply could NOT put this book down. Once you pick it up, it grabs you like a magnet and it's hard to let go of it. ... Here's an example of an echange, from page 240, between the author and a young monk named Anastasis at Saint Catherine's monastery at Mount Sinai in the Middle East: "And what about praying here?" I said. "Do you feel closer to Moses because you live here." "It feels a little bit strange, " he said. "Because when Moses met God, he did it on this spot. 'This is holy ground,' God said. The ground is much more important than the bush." "So, do you feel closer to God, too?" "No," he said. "Wherever you are, if you are close to God, you are close. If you are far away, you are far away. It doesn't matter where you live. It matters what you feel." ... Page after page after page, this book is filled with inspiring and insightful reflections on the stories in the Bible and how they are brought to life in our own lives. It is a wonderful ecumenical odyssey, and a real joy to read. ... Now, who will be inspired to write: "Walking with Shamen?" ... YOWZA! - The Aeolian Kid
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