24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic, readable, scholarly - you wont want the book to end, October 2, 2005
This review is from: Searching for the Ark of the Covenant: Latest Discoveries and Research (Paperback)
It is really exciting to see what happens when a well-trained scholar writes historically and Biblically based texts that answer deep burning questions. This is one of those books.
The author takes a very exciting, almost thriller-story style, to the exploration of possibilities about the location of the Ark of the Covenant. He leaves few stones unturned, and ha a nice balance where he does not get caught up too much in wild, un-provable conjectures. He follows the facts, interviews the experts, and is a refreshing breath of fresh air on the subject.
He is very careful to separate myth and legend from fact. Yet he does this in a way that if someone like Michael Creighton (author of Jurassic Park) wrote this book. It is a real page turner, and you might forget that this is a scholarly treatise. It is similar in style to other books he has written such as "The Stones Cry Out" (which I also highly recommend).
Dr. Price also provides a wealth of information from Jewish writings that prove quite useful. For example, he researches the Talmud and the apocryphal writings for clues. He is careful not to exalt these documents above the Scripture itself, but uses them to see how the idea of the location of the Ark and its function has developed over history. This is a unique strength of the book, and I would like to see more Christian authors make use of these Jewish writings such as the Talmud.
In addition, Dr. Price also gives serious academic rebuttals to popular theories about the location of the Ark (such as the Ethiopia conjecture) or the careless claims of those who claim to have seen the Ark (such as the late Ron Wyatt). Dr. Price offers sound Biblical evidence as to why these theories are improbable, and backs it up with detailed historical facts.
In all I think you will find this to be a very readable and pleasant romp through the history of a topic very important to Christians and Jews alike. Messianic believers in particular might find this very interesting because of the use of Talmudic sources. And Dr. Price is also a refreshing breath of fresh air in that he does not support "Replacement Theology", which is a theory that somehow the Church ahs replaced Israel. This theory has sometimes led to wild conjectures about the ark, which can be shown Biblically to be a strained interpretation at best. But in general anyone who has asked the question, from a religious or historical perspective, "What happened to the Ark of the Covenant," will not be disappointed.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Intelligent and thought-provoking, July 6, 2005
This review is from: Searching for the Ark of the Covenant: Latest Discoveries and Research (Paperback)
Randall Price goes beyond the superficial view of the Ark, common in popular culture, as a magical and powerful box. Perhaps a large, ancient battery that literally "shocked" untrained observers?
Dr. Price makes a persuasive case that the Ark of the Covenant was the doorway to Heaven. It was God's moral perfection directly manifested in a corrupt world. To those who feared Him, it was a means of mercy and life. To those who despised Him, it was a means of judgment and death. It was the center of the Hebrew Covenant with Almighty God.
Dr. Price also conducts the reader through an exhaustive analysis of possible options for the fate of the ark. In plain language, he carefully examines the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of theories.
Dr. Price's popular writing style can make you forget his impressive academic credentials. He has a Ph.D. in Middle Eastern Studies and a Masters Degree in Old Testament and Semitic Languages. He is a learned man, well versed in both the Scriptures and Jewish tradition. And he puts them all to good use, explaining the world's greatest archaeological treasure.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "reader friendly' survey of facts and fables, June 12, 2005
This review is from: Searching for the Ark of the Covenant: Latest Discoveries and Research (Paperback)
An icon of legend, the Ark of the Covenant is the centerpiece of Jewish history and a long sought prize of Biblical Archaeology. Enduring mysteries such as the fate of the Ark and where it might be today continues to prod the imagination of scholars, theologians, archaeologists, and the general public. In Searching For The Ark Of The Covenant: Latest Discoveries And Research by Middle East expert Randall Price (Th.M. Old Testament and Semitic Languages) is a "reader friendly' survey of facts and fables concerning the Ark, rumors and legends concerning it that span four thousand years of history across several continents and diverse cultures. Highly recommended reading, Searching For The Ark Of The Covenant is informed and informative, thoughtful and thought-provoking.
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