Chronological Guide to the Bible--Book Review

I received a complimentary copy of the Chronological Guide to the Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishing for review. I find enjoyment in almost anything associated with history and time lines. While I enjoyed diving into this book and swallowing a lot of information quickly, this is actually a study resource to keep on hand for reference. This would be a perfect resource to keep handy for studying a particular time period in the Bible. The Guide is divided into nine epochs, or time periods of history. Each section contains biblical events listed chronologically and the historical evidence of such events. Names of people and places mentioned in the Bible are explained from an archaeological point of view so as to explain that these places are recorded in other sources of historical information as well as the Bible. Traditions and terms that are alluded to in the Bible are also explained making Bible reading more understandable.

In each Epoch, a brief description of the time period is given, including events that are described in the Bible during that period, archaeological evidence found for that time, the people or groups living during that time, and any Biblical book or parts of books that cover that particular time period. After this introduction, there comes a brief historical overview of the time period followed by a chronological reading guide to show what portions of the Bible are covered here and should be read simultaneously. Since many books of the Bible or portions of books contain events that happened in the same time, there are sometimes more than one Bible book or a portion of one or more being covered in each epoch. In this instance, the Guide takes one book of the Bible at a time and briefly covers an introduction to that book, an outline, and a time capsule, which explains historical events recorded by date during that time. Following this is an explanation of subjects discussed in that book or portion of that book. This is much more detailed information.

For example, in Epoch Four, in the book of Judges, we are given the background of the place referred to as Arad in Judges. Archaeological discoveries made concerning this place are given. After this comes a section explaining the practice of worshiping many gods during that time which helps to understand what the Israelites had started getting involved in. There are more glimpses into the events of Judges after that, from explanations of how long the era of the Judges lasted to a description of exactly who Baal was thought to be to a section telling details of what being a Nazirite actually meant and more. Once that particular book or portion of a book is covered, the next book set at that time period is covered in the same way until each book of the Bible that contains information about the time period has been explained. Then the next epoch or time period begins.

This guide assists in understanding the context of what is talked about in Scriptures. Like, in Epoch Five, it describes exactly what a cistern is and how it was used when discussing the book of Jeremiah. This helps to understand the comparison Jeremiah makes between God's people settling for a broken cistern instead of a living fountain. Understanding the context of Scripture can help in comprehension and the Chronological Guide to the Bible offers the exactly that.