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Rating: 
Summary: Incredibly interesting!
Review: Anyone with an interest in the Bible will probably enjoy this book. I certainly did! The book presents the Bible as a vitally important and influential library of texts loaded with mystery and controversy. Some of the topics I personally found of interest were the search for Noah's Ark and the Ark of the Covenant, the story of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other controversial documents, and the interesting exposé of the Bible code phenomenon. The author takes on the more touchy subjects without being condescending or judgmental and I thoroughly appreciated the range of views presented including scientific and religious perspectives. Ryan's background as an archaeologist is clear through much of the book as he regularly incorporates archaeological evidence in the chapters. Before I read this book, my Bible knowledge was sketchy at best and now afterwards, I can say that my knowledge and interest in the Bible, archaeology and ancient documents has increased dramatically. I very highly recommend this very well written and often provocative book!
Rating:
Summary: A biblical mysteries idiot no more
Review: Donald P. Ryan's primer on biblical mysteries provides a broad starting point for those wanting to further investigate the "mysteries" as well as those who just find themselves attracted by the Bible's fascinating stories. In keeping with the "Complete Idiot's" tradition, Ryan's book ensures that even the biggest idiot among us will have no problem tracing the history of the world's most influential book. It appeals to the archeologist in all of us and addresses some of the biggest questions still lingering after thousands of years, including Noah's Ark and the Great Flood, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Shroud of Turin, the Ark of the Covenant, and of course, the Bible itself! The material unfolds in a general chronological order, beginning with the Bible's origins. Part I deals with the actual writing and structure of the book. The Old Testament or Torah's stories follow in Part II, which covers the Creation (and its controversy), Genesis, and Noah and the whereabouts of his famous ark. Part III relates the Jewish enslavement and the Exodus, and Part IV is a history of Jerusalem, including insight into the current Israel-Palestine conflict. Jesus is the subject of Part V. In Part VI, Ryan examines "Lost Books and Sacred Artifacts," and the last section is devoted to the supernatural, i.e. angels, demons, and the Apocalypse. You can see that there is much to cover, and of all the Bible's mysteries, Ryan manages to hit most of the hot topics. As this guide is an introduction, you won't get the finer details, but Ryan does a fair job of presenting a variety of viewpoints and theories, from the common to the absurd. He tries to legitimize differing opinions insomuch that each is respected, and such unbiased approach is much appreciated. Overall, this is a handy starting point that is as fun to read as it is informative.
Rating:
Summary: A biblical mysteries idiot no more
Review: Donald P. Ryan's primer on biblical mysteries provides a broad starting point for those wanting to further investigate the "mysteries" as well as those who just find themselves attracted by the Bible's fascinating stories. In keeping with the "Complete Idiot's" tradition, Ryan's book ensures that even the biggest idiot among us will have no problem tracing the history of the world's most influential book. It appeals to the archeologist in all of us and addresses some of the biggest questions still lingering after thousands of years, including Noah's Ark and the Great Flood, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Shroud of Turin, the Ark of the Covenant, and of course, the Bible itself! The material unfolds in a general chronological order, beginning with the Bible's origins. Part I deals with the actual writing and structure of the book. The Old Testament or Torah's stories follow in Part II, which covers the Creation (and its controversy), Genesis, and Noah and the whereabouts of his famous ark. Part III relates the Jewish enslavement and the Exodus, and Part IV is a history of Jerusalem, including insight into the current Israel-Palestine conflict. Jesus is the subject of Part V. In Part VI, Ryan examines "Lost Books and Sacred Artifacts," and the last section is devoted to the supernatural, i.e. angels, demons, and the Apocalypse. You can see that there is much to cover, and of all the Bible's mysteries, Ryan manages to hit most of the hot topics. As this guide is an introduction, you won't get the finer details, but Ryan does a fair job of presenting a variety of viewpoints and theories, from the common to the absurd. He tries to legitimize differing opinions insomuch that each is respected, and such unbiased approach is much appreciated. Overall, this is a handy starting point that is as fun to read as it is informative.
Rating:
Summary: Unmasking the Mysteries of the Bible
Review: Dr. Donald P. Ryan does it again with this, his second book in "The Complete Idiot's Guide" series (see "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Lost Civilizations"). Laid out in the typical format for this series, Dr. Ryan examines the most well-known biblical mysteries in a manner that is neither judgmental nor opinionated, leaving the reader to form his or her own opinion about the facts presented. Personally, I've always been challenged with understanding the meaning of the various stories in the Bible and was quite pleased to find that Dr. Ryan presents his information in a thorough, clear and concise manner. Covering the Bible from Genesis through Revelation, from lost books to sacred artifacts, Dr. Ryan educates and informs the reader in an entertaining manner with the most fascinating tidbits of information. I most highly recommend this book for both the casually interested reader as well as one who is quite familiar with biblical history. Reading this latest book of Dr. Ryan's has left me with a desire to learn yet more about this, the most published book on Earth, the Bible.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting at times, but a little disappointing, too.
Review: I'm a bit surprised that all the reviews up until now have given this book 5 stars! I bought the book expecting information on such topics as the possible locations of artificats such as Noah's Ark, the Ark of the Covenant, or on such controversial things as the Shroud of Turin. While these things were discussed (not in a whole lot of detail), at least half of the entire book was nothing more than an overview of the contents of the Bible! I suppose that someone who is not familiar with the Bible would find this a good introduction, but anyone who has spent any time at all reading and/or studying the Bible will probably be bored and/or disappointed. The lack of depth is one reason; another reason for disappointment is that the book is written from a somewhat skeptical stance (albeit a benevolent one). Certainly the book was intended to appeal to a general audience, and I understand that. My only point is that someone who really understands the Bible is likely to be turned off. The other thing that surprised me was the author's surprising lack of understanding when it comes to simple Biblical facts, not to mention the deeper truths of the Bible. For instance, at one point he says that James, one of the 12 apostles/disciples, was Jesus' brother. He confuses this James with the author of the book by the same name, the Pastor of the church of Jerusalem. The books of Matthew and Mark both clearly state that James the Apostle was the son of Alphaeus. (There was a second apostle/disciple by the same name, he was the brother of John, the son of Zebedee). In another place, the author says that the early Christians celebrated the Sabbath on Sunday, instead of Friday, as the Jews had. Assuming he was talking about the weekly sabbath (the Jews celebrated other "special sabbaths," too), this was Saturday, not Friday. And finally, while this is a common error, he also says that Jesus was executed on Friday. While this error is propogated by those who celebrate "Good Friday," it simply isn't so. Christ died no later than Thursday, probably Wednesday. So, in summary, this book probably isn't worth the expense. If you're wanting either a book on Biblcal archaeology or a Biblical study guide there are certainly better (and more accurate) choices available.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting at times, but a little disappointing, too.
Review: I'm a bit surprised that all the reviews up until now have given this book 5 stars! I bought the book expecting information on such topics as the possible locations of artificats such as Noah's Ark, the Ark of the Covenant, or on such controversial things as the Shroud of Turin. While these things were discussed (not in a whole lot of detail), at least half of the entire book was nothing more than an overview of the contents of the Bible! I suppose that someone who is not familiar with the Bible would find this a good introduction, but anyone who has spent any time at all reading and/or studying the Bible will probably be bored and/or disappointed. The lack of depth is one reason; another reason for disappointment is that the book is written from a somewhat skeptical stance (albeit a benevolent one). Certainly the book was intended to appeal to a general audience, and I understand that. My only point is that someone who really understands the Bible is likely to be turned off. The other thing that surprised me was the author's surprising lack of understanding when it comes to simple Biblical facts, not to mention the deeper truths of the Bible. For instance, at one point he says that James, one of the 12 apostles/disciples, was Jesus' brother. He confuses this James with the author of the book by the same name, the Pastor of the church of Jerusalem. The books of Matthew and Mark both clearly state that James the Apostle was the son of Alphaeus. (There was a second apostle/disciple by the same name, he was the brother of John, the son of Zebedee). In another place, the author says that the early Christians celebrated the Sabbath on Sunday, instead of Friday, as the Jews had. Assuming he was talking about the weekly sabbath (the Jews celebrated other "special sabbaths," too), this was Saturday, not Friday. And finally, while this is a common error, he also says that Jesus was executed on Friday. While this error is propogated by those who celebrate "Good Friday," it simply isn't so. Christ died no later than Thursday, probably Wednesday. So, in summary, this book probably isn't worth the expense. If you're wanting either a book on Biblcal archaeology or a Biblical study guide there are certainly better (and more accurate) choices available.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent, Informative!
Review: Keeping it brief, this is a great book with tons of interesting facts about mysteries that are in the Bible. Explanations of miracles, detailed history surrounding them. I learned an intense amount of information in this book. You don't have to be a scholar, as it was written simply. The authors did an excellent job.
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