The World of the Bible

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: Of late having read and re-read numerous books like this one, dealing with history of the Near East as it is relevant to the Bible, I must say that of them all, this volume has offered up the best balance of text and illustration. Its few inaccuracies- mainly in shortcomings of maps and diagrams- are minor, as is its bias in favor of Roman blame for Jesus' execution. Overall, a creditable volume for the casual scholar, the traveller to the Levant, or anyone wanting to fill gaps in their knowledge of ancient history of the region up till fairly modern times.

Rating:
Summary: A Holy Land Companion Standard!
Review: Roberta Harris's The World of the Bible, is a must have for anyone looking to travel to the Holy Land, or do any real Bible Study. Reading the Bible with This color picture laden manual in hand can really broaden the experience and the insight gained from scripture. It is also would serve as a wonderful introduction for someone visiting the Holy Land. The many great pictures highlight a scholarly text that is of a much higher level than many Holy Land guides. The only drawback is the book's oversize format, which makes it hard to travel with. Still highly recommended for students of the Ancient world!

Rating:
Summary: Too many inaccuracies
Review: This books has a lot of color maps and contains some nice photographs of archeological digs as well as photographs of the land today. Unfortunately, the history and text is inaccurate on too many points to be of any use as a reference tool for a casual tourist or a biblical scholar. Of the 200+ books on history, The Middle East, archeology, and the Bible that I have read in the last 18 months, this one was the worst.

Rating:
Summary: Too many inaccuracies
Review: This books has a lot of color maps and contains some nice photographs of archeological digs as well as photographs of the land today. Unfortunately, the history and text is inaccurate on too many points to be of any use as a reference tool for a casual tourist or a biblical scholar. Of the 200+ books on history, The Middle East, archeology, and the Bible that I have read in the last 18 months, this one was the worst.