Rose Then And Now Bible Map Atlas by Paul H. Wright, Ph.D.

Rose Then And Now Bible Map Atlas by Paul H. Wright, Ph.D. ISBN-13: 9781596366206 ebook: 272 pages Publisher: Rose Publishing Released: March 19, 2013

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Amazon:
The Best "Then and Now" Bible Atlas Ever, with 120 stunning detailed Bible maps and including overlays showing modern-day cities and countries in red. This atlas focuses on people - not regions - and how the geography affected their lives and decisions. For example: Know how David's clever understanding of geography and politics led to his marriage with Ahinoam of Jezreel. Find out why Moses and the Children of Israel took the long southern trek from Egypt to the Promised Land, rather than the direct route.

Dr. Paul H. Wright is President of Jerusalem University College (the Institute of Holy Land Studies). Over the years Dr. Wright has led thousands of university students and adults on field studies throughout Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Egypt and the Sinai.


My Review:
Rose Then And Now Bible Map Atlas provided geographical, archaeological, and cultural background insights into the Biblical narrative. The Atlas started off with typical information about rainfall, temperatures, and such. Then the author focused on various people in the Bible, from Abraham to John. He talked about other people who were also active at that time, so he covered most of the Bible and the inter-testament period in this way.

For each chapter, the author retold the person's story based on the biblical information. He also provided insights on how geography, politics, and cultural pressures may have played a role in their decisions. He added fictional dialogue to illustrate his proposed scenario. I didn't always accept the motives that the author proposed, but the suggested political pressures did prompt me to think about the narratives in a new way. The information on how the land contours and features affected events was interesting.

The maps showed the locations of major events and movements. In the .pdf ebook version, the "overlay" of modern territory lines is simply given as second map. The labeling on the map was easily readable on my computer screen but might not be so easy on smaller screens.

There were many excellent photographs of the locations described in the text. These photographs showed what the landscape looks like and often illustrated the significant features that the author described in the text. I really enjoyed the photos and geography insights.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


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