Oxford Bible Atlas,   ISBN:9780199560462

Customer Rating: 

This book is beautiful, pictures are stunning, the maps are beautiful to see but the content is great. Beside all this there are written sections that contain much useful information.

Customer Rating: 

I was just browsing the "Oxford Bible Atlas" on Amazon.com where I came across a description of the "Fertile Crescent" on page 15 where it is said to extend from the Euphrates/Tigris river valley through the Nile valley.

The "Fertile Crescent" is not an ancient description. The term was coined by James Henry Breasted (about 100 years ago) in the introduction to each of his volumes of translations of Egyptian inscriptions. For Breasted, the "Fertile Crescent" was limited to the Euphrates/Tigris, Orontes and Jordan river valleys. Breasted contrasted the "Fertile Crescent" with the Nile valley. Ipso facto, for Breasted, Egypt formed no part of the "Fertile Crescent".

The "Oxford Bible Atlas" also refers to the "Fertile Crescent" as if it included Egypt on pages 120 and 192. The "Holman Bible Atlas" correctly describes the "Fertile Crescent" on page 3 and attributes its definition to Breasted. (Wikipedia incorrectly describes and maps the "Fertile Crescent" to include Egypt.)

The only map showing up in Amazon's "LOOK INSIDE" section is that spread over pages 16 and 17. The List of Maps is on page ix but this doesn't show up using "LOOK INSIDE". As the book is an atlas one would expect to be able to see a list of maps if not a few sample maps. I have browsed some of the other biblical atlases on-line. Where they are shown, the other atlases have very wishy-washy maps. It would be nice to know what the "Oxford" maps look like before buying the book. The "Oxford" text is certainly better - in both font and content - than that of the other atlases.

I have rated this book based on the "LOOK INSIDE" excerpts and the comments of others with the hope that the poor scholarship in relation to the "Fertile Crescent" does not extend elsewhere.

Customer Rating: 

Why bother creating such a beautiful book, full of helpful maps and lovely photographs, when the authors clearly only half believe the Biblical narrative? I got disgusted by the all phrases such as "purported to have happened," and "said to have taken place," in the first few chapters. My guess is that most people wanting to really delve into the geography of the Bible believe it's true, or they wouldn't be bothering. Had I realized how heavy this slant was, I would have chosen something else.

Customer Rating: 

This Atlas is beautiful. It has a combination of a variety full-color maps (some of which are interesting, low-angle images), satellite images, and color photographs of the many different regions and climates of the Biblical lands. The narrative is a helpful chronology of the major events of the Bible--including the "inter-testamental era--and concludes with an examination of the role of archaeology. There are also separate two-page snapshots of key archaeological discoveries. This atlas has everything I was hoping to get when I ordered it.