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Editorial Review:
One part adventure story, one part archaeological detective work, one part spiritual exploration, Walking the Bible vividly recounts an inspiring personal odyssey -- by foot, jeep, rowboat, and camel -- through the greatest stories ever told.
Feeling a desire to reconnect to the Bible, award-winning author Bruce Feller set out on a perilous, ten-thousand-mile journey, retracing the Five Books of Moses through the desert. Traveling through three continents, five countries, and four war zones, Feller is the first person to complete such a historic expedition. He crosses the Red Sea, climbs Mount Sinai, and interviews bedouin and pilgrims alike, as he attempts to answer the question: Is the Bible just an abstraction or is it a living, breathing entity?
Along with renowned archaeologist Avner Goren, Feller treks through Turkey, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Egypt, the Sinai, and Jordan, visiting the actual places of some of history's most storied events, from the mountain where Noah's ark landed to the site of the legendary burning bush. He visits the desert outpost in Turkey where Abraham first heard the words of God and faces arrest while camping on Mount Nebo in Jordan, where Moses overlooked the Promised Land. In each Place, he scrupulously gathers the latest archaeological research and sits down to read the stories in their natural surroundings. With eloquence and insight, he explores how geography affects the larger narrative of the Bible and ultimately realizes how much these places -- and his experience -- have affected his own faith.
Both a pulse-pounding adventure and an uplifting spiritual quest, Bruce Feller's Walking the Bible is a stunning and elevating work of courage, scholarship, and heart. It revisits the inscrutable desert landscape where the world's great religions were born and uncovers fresh answers to the most profound questions of the human spirit.
Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses is the story of Bruce Feiler's 10,000-mile trek from Mount Ararat to Mount Nebo, undertaken for reasons he did not understand at the outset and accompanied by a companion who was very nearly a stranger. In the book's first chapter, in characteristically understated style, Feiler suggests a viable parallel to his journey:
Abraham was not originally the man he became. He was not an Israelite, he was not a Jew. He was not even a believer in God--at least initially. He was a traveler, called by some voice not entirely clear that said: Go, head to this land, walk along this route, and trust what you will find. Feiler, a fifth-generation American Jew from the South, had felt no particular attachment to the Holy Land. Yet during his journey, Feiler's previously abstract faith grew more grounded. ("I began to feel a certain pull from the landscape.... It was a feeling of gravity. A feeling that I wanted to take off all my clothes and lie facedown in the soil.") Feiler's attentiveness, intelligence, and adventurousness enliven every page of this book. And the lessons he learned about the relationship between place and the spirit will be useful for readers of every religious tradition that finds its origins in the Bible. --Michael Joseph Gross
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Interesting read:
This is an interesting book from the historical perspective. It has something in it for everybody no matter what your interests are. There is a little bit of history, some archaeology, some anthropology, and a bit of politics. This trip through the pages of the book makes the bible come alive. As you experience the land, the people, against the backdrop of today you get a new feel for the bible. The stories are well told and highlights the importance of each place. I came across this book just before I went... more info
Ordered for my daughter:
I love this book so much! My daughter saw how much I enjoyed it and ... well, stole it! :) Okay, I allowed her to take it. But when it became obvious she wasn't going to give it back, I ordered one for her! :)more info A Good Journey Although Not Where I Expected it To Go:
For a novice in Biblical matters, such as myself, this was a good introduction to the literature of the Bible. The book presented various biblical stories in the chronological order presented in the Bible. For each story covered, the author presented a brief summary of the biblical tale, told in the context of a visit to the place where the story is said to have occurred. By using this format, the book was part historical, part modern travelogue, and part commentary.more info WALKING WITH FEILER:
I am an author but I am first and foremost, an avid reader. I don't just read something because it's tucked into two covers. I read because it is a passion. "Walking The Bible" fired that passion and turned the heat on high! If you are looking for an adventure, this is your book. If you are looking for a boost to your spiritual core, this is your book. It is also your book if you're looking for a text that flows flawlessly from the first chapter to the very last where Feiler doesn't just drop you off and... more info Similar Products:
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