A book that was adventuresome. archaeological and more significantly spiritually done. Walking the Bible gives us the inspiring journey through the desert of award winning writer Bruce Feiler. Tracing the first five books of the Old Testament. Feiler set a 10 thousand stat mi journey through three continents and five states merely to reply the inquiry. can Abraham salvage the universe? Feiler divides the book into five parts. fiting the Five Books of Moses he seeks to animate. He traveled from Turkey. to Iraq to Israel. Egypt. Sinai and Jordan.

He visits the existent topographic points told in history. get downing from the mountain where Noah’s Ark landed to the site of legendary combustion shrub. In Turkey. he visits the sweet point where Abraham foremost heard the words of God. He besides faces apprehension in Mount Nebo in Jordan which is considered the topographic point where Moses overlooked the Promised Land. Avner Goren. his travel comrade for most of the book’s episodes. is the former main archeologist of the Sinai Peninsula is great usher and comrade. Without the aid of Goren. Feiler might be in great danger and be at loss in his journey.

In each topographic point. Feiler gathers all the latest archaeological research and explores how geography affects the larger narration of the Bible. On page 75. Feiler says. “Two thousand old ages subsequently. it seems safe to state that the Bible. besides its ability to animate piousness and devotedness. has besides prompted more toutism than any other work in history. ” ( Feiler. ) . This can be recognized in their experience where every clip he and his comrade reach a major site. they open the Bible to read and take expression at the subdivision that matches the events and the topographic point.

This book enlightens and entertains on religious. historical. and travel escapade degrees. Feiler was able to carry on proper researches about the geographics and civilization in the Holy Land and presented it good in the book. He besides presented a batch of interesting thoughts on the significance of the Old Testament scriptural narratives. The applications of these thoughts on ourselves and the possible roots of the development and enrichment of the Judaic civilization were clearly discussed. The interviews with the Jews Christians and Muslims. bookmans. archaeologist and local historiographers make this book an enlightening and real-life experience book.

Feiler on the other manus. had an mistake of utilizing his junk-food metaphors such as when the desert landscape is described as resembling “trail mix” in one topographic point and Cracker knuckleboness in another. Few mistakes were besides in the book like his description of Mt. Ararat which he described as the 2nd highest extremum in Europe which is perfectly non true at all. The highest mountains and extremums in Europe reside in the Caucasus and at that place besides lies three extremums higher than Mt. Ararat. He besides called a vehicle as a “Toyota Land Rover” which is qualitatively incorrect.

The Land Rover is non a Toyota auto merchandise but a British-made vehicle. What Feiler possibly seeking to depict is the Toyota Land Cruiser which is the right term for the vehicle. After reading the book. I can really state that Feiler might be at lost with his relationship with God ; his religion was ill-defined though he seems to be more closely integral with God after his journey. One of the things that control his transition is saying that he does non basically believed in the narratives of the Bible. Here. his deficiency of religion with his faith is identified.

He does non truly believe that 2 million people made the hegira from Egypt at one time instead it happened over figure of old ages. He contradicts his thought about Mt. Sinai stating that it is non the topographic point where Moses received the jurisprudence but instead in other topographic point. Feiler besides mention Judaism or anything in political relations really often which is seemingly non related with the narrative he was stating. Another thing that Feiler lacks is the ability to pass on to the reader what is interesting or new to the topographic points he is depicting. His penetrations and thoughts are predictable and repetitive which make the prose more drilling.

It can be seen besides that every clip his enlightened. he can non defy to blink an “Admire Me” mark. This book is truly a Jewish-biased book in the sense that it describes the events and the names in the Bible in the Judaic context. However. it is still a good travelogue and a contemplation book. both enlightening and historically right but is non eloquently described in text. This is truly a book for everyone. particularly for those in demand of spiritual contemplation and besides for those who love travels.

Mention

Feiler. B. Walking the Bible ( 2002 ) . Harper Perennial