Customer Reviews

Hammond Atlas of the Bible Lands

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Hammond 'Atlas of the Bible Lands' satisfies every imaginable objective I may have for an aid to Bible study. This is especially true since the book is published by people who understand people who use maps.

For starters, it includes historical maps from the very earlist period where an event in the Bible can be associated with a real historical location through the travels of Jesus' apostles, plus a map of modern Palestine.

Then, like every other serious atlas, the volume includes a wide range of maps which go beyond the familiar political boundaries. For example, it includes serious physical maps of Palestine, as well as maps of climate and economic centers.

Lastly, the volume includes a map of the entire Roman Empire (albeit with some important corners of the British Isles left off). While Christianity may not have reached Britannia or Hispania in the lifetimes of Peter, Paul, or the other early Apostles, it is certainly important to have the entire empire when reading New Testament and early Church Father writings.

The very best aspect of the volume is the modest cost for this marvelous volume. I've seen other books on this subject and none come close. I only wish there were some way of acquiring wall hanging sized blowups of some of the maps.

My husband and I teach an indepth class on the Old Testament one semester then the New Testament the next semester alternating. We used the previous edition of this same book, but we were even more blown away by the new revised edition. Every student of the Bible needs to purchase one. They are priceles.

These maps are incredible. Places in the Bible in the OT that you can't find in some others, it's here! On the outside, it looks like a children's book; but once you utilize it in your study of the Scripture, it is phenomenal.

I've always had an interest in ancient history. I recommend this atlas as a guide to read along with your particular religous history.

The maps cover ancient to modern history & contains topographical maps as well.

I had not realized how varied the topography was in the areas covered in the Bible. I am sure that the maps of ancient history sites & towns would be as useful to those interested in the area in general.

I've read this cover to cover. I'll do so again & again as the information contained in this volume is a lot to take in in one reading.

An affordable atlas of bible lands. Great for college students to get a general background on the topology and locations where historical Biblical events occured.

A nice reference book for the children while doing a Bible unit study. It isn't really fancy and isn't very big as far as pages go. It does get the job done though.

First of all, the service of Amazone is incredible. It arrive HK in 10 days. My order from other bookstore 10 days prior this order not arrived yet.

The atlas shows lot of geographical information more than mere political boundary, average temperature, economic, sea level etc. No in vain commentary. Let the reader derive the meaning from the geographical data without human bias. The printing is eye pleasing too. Its not too bulky to take along with my ESV bible.

One of the best compositions of Bible maps. I recommend all my students to purchase this book, so they can better understand the sites mentioned in the Bible.

The picture on the cover of this text is of The Dome of the Rock (Arabic: translit.: Masjid Qubbat As-Sakhrah, Hebrew: translit.: Kipat Hasela, Turkish: Kubbetüs Sahra). It is an Islamic shrine.

It is not the 'Church of the Holy Sepulchre' as mis-identified in the Atlas itself.

The Dome of the Rock is located at the center of an ancient man-made platform known as the Temple Mount (Hebrew, Har haBayit; literally, the Mountain of the House) to the Jewish people and the Haram al-Sharif (Noble Sanctuary) to the Muslims. The platform, greatly enlarged under the rule of Herod the Great, is the site of the Second Jewish Temple which was destroyed during the Roman Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

In 637 AD, Jerusalem was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate army during the Islamic invasion of the Byzantine Empire. And in a rivalrous act of competition with the original historical religions of Jerusalem with long prior religious history in this place, Judaism and Christianity, the Dome of the Rock was erected between 685 and 691 AD. And, unfortunately, there it remains.

Jerusalem was recaptured by Saladin on Friday, 2 October 1187 and the Haram was reconsecrated as a Muslim sanctuary. The cross on top of the Dome of the Rock was replaced by a golden crescent and a wooden screen was placed around the rock below.

Until the mid-nineteenth century, unsurprisingly and typically, non-Muslims were barred from the area. Since 1967, non-Muslims have been allowed some entry, but non-Muslim prayers on the Temple Mount are not allowed.

In 2006, the compound was reopened to non-Muslim visitors free of charge, between 7:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m. during Summer and 7:30-10:30 a.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m. during Winter. Non-muslims may never enter on Fridays, Saturdays, or Muslim holidays. Entry is through a covered wooden walkway next to the security entrance to the Western Wall known as the Mugrabi or Maimonides Gate. Entry to the mosques themselves is prohibited to non-Muslims, as is access to the Temple Mount through the Cotton Market. Visitors undergo strict security screening, and items such as Hebrew prayerbooks or musical instruments are not allowed.

The Muslim presence in the Holy Land began with the initial Arab conquest of Palestine in the 7th century. The Muslim armies' successes put increasing pressure on the Eastern Orthodox Byzantine Empire.

In the year 1009, the Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah ordered the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. (That's not a surprise, is it.) The Dome was not destroyed but the Sepulchre was. In 1039 his successor, after requiring large sums be paid for the right (no surprise there, either. Dexter Filkins of the New York Times references a conversation with an Iraqi following an interaction with an American, in which the Iraqi says "We take their money, but we hate them."), permitted the Byzantine Empire to rebuild it. Pilgrimages were allowed to the Holy Lands before and after the Sepulchre was rebuilt, but for a time pilgrims were captured and some of the clergy were killed. The Muslim conquerors eventually realized that the wealth of Jerusalem came from the pilgrims; with this realization the persecution of pilgrims stopped. However, the damage was already done, and the violence of the Seljuk Turks became part of the concern that spread the passion for the Crusades.

This book is for a bible study group I am in and I find it very helpful.