InthisinnovativeguidebookJulieBaretztakesreaderstotwenty-oneoff-the-beaten-pathlocationsinIsraelwhereBiblestoriesaresaidtohavehappened.Ateachsiteshesetsthescenebyrelatingthehistoricalcontextoftheevent,thenfollowswiththebiblicaltextitselfandherownlivelycommentary.CaptivatingandcomplexBiblecharactersbringthelocationstolifeastheyfacesocial,ethical,andspiritualdilemmasnotunlikeourowntoday.Baretz’snarrativesdrawonhistory,archaeology,academicscholarship,andrabbinicliteratureforinterpretationsthatenhancethemeaningofthebiblicalevents.EachstoryistoldinthevoiceofBaretzasthetourguide--knowledgeableyetinformalandfriendly.TheBibleonLocationtracesthechronologyandnarrativearcofthehistoricalbooksofJoshua,Judges,Ruth,1and2Samuel,1and2Kings,Ezra,andNehemiah.ThebookbeginswiththeIsraelites’arrivalinthelandofIsrael(followingtheexodusfromEgyptandthefortyyearsofwandering)andcontinuesovermorethansixhundredyears,untilthereturnoftheJewishexilesfromBabylontotheirhomeland.Baretz’sdescriptionsareaccompaniedbycolorfulmapsandphotographsthatputactualandarmchairvisitorsinthemiddleoftheaction.Eachlocationrevealsanewepisodeinthebiblicalnarrativeandprovidesinspirationandcommentarythatwillenhancevisitstothevarioussites.
