Review: The Holy Land: An Illustrated Guide to Its History, Geography, Culture, and Holy Sites (Illustrated Bible Handbook Series) by George W. Knight

SUMMARY FROM GOODREADS.COM:

Visit the Holy Land, wherever you might be—with this beautifully illustrated guide to the history, culture, geography, and key sites of Bible places. This brand-new, “readable reference” transports you to the land where Abraham, David, and Jesus lived, explaining the what, when, where, and why of their stories—and many, many more. The Holy Land identifies nearly twelve dozen key locales, providing details on their history, setting, and importance. Fully illustrated in color, with helpful maps and intriguing sidebars, The Holy Land is great prep for those visiting the Middle East—and an equally great read for “armchair travelers” who want to better understand the Bible story.

MY TAKE:

I'm not a fan of flying, so travel books are the perfect way for me to travel.

The Holy Land: An Illustrated Guide to Its History, Geography, Culture, and Holy Sites (Illustrated Bible Handbook Series), as the name suggests, contains history, images and trivia about the places mentioned in the Bible. The places are arranged by location so if you're actually touring these places, it makes it easier for you not to miss any important locations.

The descriptions for each entry are very thorough and seamlessly mixes historical events and passages in the Bible. I guess it would be best read with a Bible in hand.

Thanks to NetGalley and Barbour Publishing, Inc., for providing me with an e-copy.

THE GOOD:

1. Beautiful photos.
2. Nice layout design and choice of colors.
   
3. Thorough descriptions for each entry.

THE BAD:

1. People who are more interested in the sights than its actual Biblical significance might not appreciate the Biblical passages and references.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

Many visitors to the Holy Land are surprised at the small size of the country.

For example, after visiting Israel in the 1860s, Mark Twain observed: “The word Palestine always brought to my mind a vague suggestion of a country as large as the United States. I suppose it was because I could not conceive of a small country having so large a history. I must try to reduce my ideas of Palestine to a more reasonable shape.”

READ IT IF:

1. You've never been to The Holy Land but have always wanted to go there.
2. It's been awhile since you've read the Bible and you would like a refresher course.
3. You're reading the Bible and have a hard time imagining the setting.

RATING:



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