This book investigates the background of the Bible, not only re-telling the classic stories but looking at the latest archeological evidence to provide a thoroughly up-to-date account.

A breathtaking flight over the great historical sites of the Holy Land with an explanation of their rich historical, biblical, and cultural significance.

The map of the Holy Land reflects the religious and political outlook, as well as the scientific and aesthetic sensibilities, of the mapmakers and the society in which they lived. Thus, this 2001 Israel Museum exhibition- the first to bring together maps of the Holy Land from antiquity up until modern times- traced not only the history of cartography but also the development of religious, scientific and artistic thought over the last two millennia. The accompanying publication presents cartographic depictions by Jewish, Christian and Muslim pilgrims, scholars, clergymen, and scientists. These maps are remarkable not only for the religious and geopolitical world they draw, but also for their artistry and beauty.

This account of holy sites and mysterious ruins aims to capture the spirit of the places themselves. It explains their myths and legends and shows their continuing importance down the ages. Part One examines over 100 key sites and shows how they came to be regarded as sacred and their subsequent history. The sites are divided geographically into sections, such as Africa and the Middle East, Europe and Australia, and the Pacific. Each of these areas is introduced by a hand-drawn map showing all of the sites described and other areas of interest, such as ancient burial grounds, temples and natural sites. Part Two is a map-based gazetteer of over 1000 sacred sites. The sites are plotted over 20 maps, which are then followed by listings giving information about each holy place. The maps show the location of each site and the period in which it was built or used.

Narrative, maps, photos, and other illustrations place Bible stories in a historical-geographic framework. Includes a gazetteer of around 900 biblical place names.

At the Chautauqua Institution in New York, visitors could walk down Palestine Avenue to "Palestine" and a model of Jerusalem, or along Morris Avenue to a scale model of the "Jewish Tabernacle." At the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904, a replica of Ottoman Jerusalem covered eleven acres, while today, 300 miles to the southeast, a seven-story-high Christ of the Ozarks stands above a modern re-creation of the Holy Land set in the Arkansas hills."--BOOK JACKET.