Return to Sodom and Gomorrah [Paperback]

Charles R. Pellegrino (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1995

Unlock doors to the lost worlds of the Bible -- from the Garden of Eden to the ruins of Babylon

Did a volcano part the Red Sea? Have scientists found Eve? Was the pharaoh of the Oppression a woman? Did the Jordan River really cease flowing the day Jericho fell?

A brilliant author, scientist, and adventurer who has been called "the real Indiana Jones," Dr. Charles Pellegrino takes us on a remarkable journey from the Nile to the Tigris-Euphrates rivers -- crossing time, legend, and ancient lands to explore the unsolved mysteries of the Old Testament. Return to Sodom and Gomorrah is an epic saga of discovery that interweaves science, history, and suspense --the first book ever to bring archaeologists, scientists and theologians together to examine the same evidence. In this enthralling revelatory adventure, Pellegrino introduces us to dedicated pioneers like Benjamin Mazar, Leonard Woolley, and T. E. Lawrence, who retraced the steps of Moses to demystify the Exodus and the Flood. In the process, he enables us to view ancient relics in an extraordinary new light -- as both fascinating windows on the past and vivid signposts to the future.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Blending the work of archeologists, scientists and theologians, Pellegrino explores the factual bases of the events recorded in the Old Testament.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Scientist/adventurer Pellegrino provides a dialogue on Biblical history which blends science with history and a format which reads like an investigative novel. Ancient mysteries are surveyed, with archaeological findings linking myths to facts. A lively and intriguing account, this will attract a wide audience. -- Midwest Book Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks; 2nd edition (December 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380726335
• ISBN-13: 978-0380726332
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #482,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Charles Pellegrino is the author of twelve books, including Unearthing Atlantis and Her Name, Titanic.He is a paleontologist who designs robotic space probes and relativistic rockets and is the scientist whose dinosaurs cloning recipe inspired Michael Crichton's bestselling novel Jurassic Park. In his spare time, Dr. Pellegrino writes acclaimed sf novels and mind-bending technothrillers. Jan de Bont, the director of Speed and Twister, has been signed on to direct the film version of Pellgrino's biological disaster novel Dust.The recipient of the 2000 Isaac Asimov Memorial Award for Science Writing, Dr. Pellegrino lives in New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An erudite and entertaining synthesis of humanity's past, March 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Return to Sodom and Gomorrah (Paperback)

To merely say that this book is one of the best books I have ever read would be to seriously understate my opinion of this profound and important work. Pellegrino has a rare and uncanny ability to draw connections and to synthesize the disparate and widely scattered evidence of humanity's past. An admitted agnostic, he is wise enough to realize that no true scientist can be an athiest, but he also pulls no punches in his clear-minded assessment of biblical history. The fact that he is able to keep his sense of humor throughout only adds to the enjoyment of this book. One of the main reasons I believe this to be a profoundly important work is that Pellegrino presents a refreshingly honest, if not always optimistic, view of human nature. He harbors no illusions about our species' violent past, and thus provides us with the perspective and foresight we need if we wish to avoid the specter of extinction.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lights, camera... dig!, October 19, 1997

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This review is from: Return to Sodom and Gomorrah (Paperback)

Cecil B. DeMille's got a lot to answer for. Mention the Old Testament and chances are that most of us will visualise one of his screen epics - Charlton Heston as Moses parting the Red Sea, for example - and we'll laugh at the larger-than-life antics. Not Charles Pellegrino. He takes all the old Bible stories and asks what if they really happened?

A modern-day adventurer - part detective, part scientist, part visionary - Pellegrino traces archaeological sites from the Nile to the Jordan and the Tigris-Euphrates rivers and presents compelling evidence from scientists, archaeologists and theologians that the oral histories of the Bible hold a surprising basis in fact.

We journey with him from the ancient cities of Babylon and Ur, Nineveh and Jericho, to King Solomon's Temple in search of the Ark of the Covenant, and to Qumram for the secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls. You might expect archaeology to be as dry as, well, dust. But Pellegrino's enthusiasm is infectious.

Far from being boring and inaccessible, this book is an unexpected delight. Impeccably researched, yet written with extraordinary clarity of language and as riveting as a good thriller, it'll probably make you go out and start digging for treasure in your own backyard. Eat your heart out Indiana Jones!

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scientific Explanations for Religious Happenings, June 15, 1999

By A Customer

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This review is from: Return to Sodom and Gomorrah (Paperback)

I have had difficulty accepting some of the Biblical happenings. Pellegrino has given scenerios on how these "miracles" could have happened and helped me accept them. It did not conflict with my religious beliefs. The only book I have read twice. I will read it again from time to time.