Customer Reviews

Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses

5 star:		(53)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book really should have been called "Walking the Torah," since it covers the Five Books of Moses and is written from a primarily Jewish perspective. I suppose the marketing people felt that "Bible" would have a wider sales appeal or something. Be that as it may, the most interesting thing about this book was the profound change in attitude that the journey brought to the writer himself. No, he didn't "get religion" and run off become an Orthodox Jew. However, he did gain a new appreciation for the Bible stories themselves, as well as the various people and places that the Bible describes.

By his own admission, Bruce Feiler was a secular/Reform Jew who started out simply wanting to connect to the physical places mentioned in the Torah, i.e., to literally walk where his ancestors had walked. At first, Feiler thought of the Bible as a sort of Baedekers travel guide. He spent most of his preparation time reading history, geography, and archaeology. Once he got on the road, however, he soon discovered that the Bible is also "in the people" (his words). Whether they are true believers of many faiths or secularists who see the Bible as literature, the people who actually live in these biblical locations have a deep, almost mystical connection to the land itself -- a bond which goes beyond merely occupying a particular piece of real estate. Feiler grew to have this inner experience, too. As he himself explains, somewhere along the line he stopped thinking of The Book as a travel guide, and started seeing it as The Bible.

Feiler's prose style is both creative and highly readable. While some have criticized his incessant junk food metaphors (chocolate mountains, cinnamon hills -- he was getting hungry maybe?), I found them rather amusing. On the one hand, here he is, talking about places mentioned in a Holy Book that is sacred to millions of people. On the other hand, he doesn't pontificate, nor does he idealize. He duly notes the the rampant commercialism at holy sites and, with a wry sense of humor, he comments on many strange justapositions of traditional and modern life. (The fire extinguisher kept near the "true burning bush" in St. Catherine's monastery on Mt. Sinai had me laughing out loud. Was the burning bush was expected to catch on fire?)

As with most personal travelogues, there are things in this one that Feiler doesn't get right, even with his famous tour guide, Israeli archaeologist Avner Goren. (Who, by the way, was paid by Feiler to do this project, but so what? Hiring a guide is a time-honored travel practice, and more than one scholar has financed his research with moonlighting.) What I got out of the book was a deeper understanding of how the lay of the land in the Middle East influenced the Bible. This, in turn, opened up many Torah passages in new ways for me.

Walking the Bible is an absorbing & informative travel memoir of Feiler's journeys through the first five books of the Old Testament. Feiler presents a refreshingly different perpective on this subject because he admittedly comes to the project as a young, semi-inactive-in-the-faith Jewish man. What he learns through the trip by reading, interacting, and observing doesn't seem to give him concrete "proof" of the historical veracity of the events, but nonetheless leads him down a path to understanding faith and to realization of the enormous meaning found within the Holy Land. His appreciation for that land and the conflict and beauty found within it are apparent throughout the book, and I found that appreciation to be contagious.

The best thing about this book is that it enlightens and entertains on spiritual, historical, and travel adventure levels. Scholarly views on the interpretation of Biblical events as well as the geography and culture of the Holy Land are researched and well-presented. Avner Goren was a fantastic guide/mentor who has a greater knowledge of pre-historic and Biblical archaeology than most anyone else around -- his input is priceless. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a thirst for more knowledge about Old Testament times in the Holy Land, and particularly to those in their 20s or 30s who may come to the book with backgrounds similar to that of Feiler. I learned quite a bit, particularly in regards to the motivations of Israeli immigrants and Judaistic views on God's interaction with his people during Exodus. And yet that book does not proselytize in any way -- it simply presents the experiences on the journey.

As to those reviewers who critize Feiler's undertaking of the Biblical journey as unoriginal: "Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it." - C.S. Lewis, MERE CHRISTIANITY

I believe that most people will walk away from reading this book glad that they read it, laden with new information and, perhaps, new questions.

A rare book changes the way you live and experience the world. Walking the Bible does just that and more. It is gracefully written, hugely entertaining, and enormously thoughtful. It is filled with great thrills ... riding camels up Mount Sinai, standing on the very spot where Moses received the Commandments, tasting the salt pillars at Sodom and Gomorrah, crossing the Red Sea in a row boat, beholding the burning bush. Above all, it is a profound, deeply intelligent exploration of the Bible as a vibrant force in our lives and the world. Take the journey -- feel the desert wind, smell the Bedouin feasts, climb inside the great pyramids -- and soon, like the author himself, you will be transformed by the experience, even touched by the Holy Land and God.

I have to agree with some of the other reviewers that Walking The Bible is NOT great prose; for example, Feiler likes his junk-food metaphors such as when the desert landscape is described as resembling "trail mix" one place and Cracker Jacks in another. And the story IS too drawn out. And there isn't even all that much actual walking; Feiler rides camels up Mt Sinai and Mt. Aaron and drives to the top of Mt. Nebo.

Nevertheless, Feiler presents a lot of interesting thoughts on the meaning of the Old Testament Biblical stories, their applications to ourselves, and the possible roots of the development of the Jewish people and their culture which is so foundational to Western morals and culture. Whether or not you agree with Feiler, I'm sure some of his theories will stimulate your own counter-thoughts and inspire additional research.

Therefore, although I don’t believe this will prove to be either a travel or spiritual classic, I suggest you read it if you have an interest in Feiler's topic.

I discovered a number of odd errors in the book which make me concerned as to how many mistakes there are on topics I'm not familiar with. Feiler asserts on page 4 that Mt. Ararat "is the highest peak in the Middle East (and the second highest in Europe)". That is only true if you simultaneously define Iran as NOT being in the Middle East (even though it is) and redefine the Middle East as part of Europe (which it is not). Even then, the highest mountains in Europe are in the Caucasus and there are at least three peaks in that range higher than Ararat. He also describes a vehicle as a "Toyota Land Rover"; the Land Rover has been a world famous British-made vehicle for many years while Toyota has makes an excellent vehicle called the Land Cruiser.

Another ... reviewer wonders why famous Israeli archeologist Avner Goren would bother to spend so many months traveling with Feiler. Without Goren's knowledge, field experience and contacts Feiler wouldn't have had much of a story to tell. Well, as they say, "follow the money". According to an interview with Feiler I saw in a newspaper in Virginia last week, Feiler paid Goren to travel with him as his guide for most of the trip.

In his last chapter, Feiler describes a number of books he relied on in planning his travels and writing the book. One he mentions favorably is Dalrymple's From the Holy Mountain, which covers almost the identical trip as Feiler except rather than following the route of Old Testament events, Dalrymple follows the route of a 6th century Christian monk. Although the topic is not the same, I found Dalrymple's book both better written and more insightful (it regards Christianity, of course, rather than Judaism) and I recommend it very highly.

This is an amazing book. While I doubt any of us would have the opportunity (or the traveling companion) that Feiler had in his quest to review the Pentauch, we are richer for his trip. Launching from the premise that the Bible had roots in history and developing culture (if not exactly a fact by fact account), the travelers look to tread where the stories come from, and to read the portions of the first 5 books of the Bible that relate to that location. Thus they can take the land, which is forever written about and under conflict, and the word, which often gets more remote from us, and joins them back together to see what we can learn. The connection begins with the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the fertile crescent giving birth to Genesis and the patriarchs, and continues through Israel, Egypt and Jordan until Feiler stands on the mountain top where Moses may have seen the promised land and then died.

In addition, there is an exploration of what the bible means today, and what it means to the people who live in the area where the stories take place. The five books of Moses are extremely important becuase they form the starting off point for Judiasm (and later Christianity) and Islam. Thus the area, and the book, have varying importance to a large amount of the world. But does a book written 2-3 thousand years ago still resonate today in the lands of desert and oasis? Feiler finds that it does, even more so than he expected. In the way of discovering a new nuance of our heritage - what is part of our collective cultural history.

The writing is easy going, insightful and fun. The author is able to draw out new visions and stories from one of the most written about areas of the world. I came away from the book with a much better and new understanding of the early stories of the Bible and look at their place in history in a new light. A great read, that teaches you without lecturing to you.

I liked this book so much that I even read it while on red lights. This book is about a journey into the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Torah) and the author begins with an adventurous geographical quest and ends with a very touching spiritual one. The language that Bruce Feiler (a young American Jew who lives in New York) uses is so descriptive that reading this book is like virtually taking the journey with him. It was so neat to read it! It was also very nice to learn about the Hebraic religious system and the roots of Christianity. Aside from learning with profound interest about The Bible, Abraham, Moses, the Bedouin (his wife's tribe), the Middle East, the desert, Archeology, and much more, I also discovered that there is a personal and unique lesson for everyone to learn by the time you get to the end of the book. Find out which one is yours! In the end, I found myself inquiring as to Who my God is and what type of relationship I have with Him or if I have one. I also learned to have a total new perspective in understanding or making sense of the Bible as well as humanity.

PS: If you read this book, you will learn to have a better understanding of what is going on in the Middle East. You will also discover that what is going on there has been going on for more than a couple thousands of years. There is a part in the Bible that says that nothing that is happening now or will happen, has not happened before. I don't understand this well but it must have to do with the circles of life! Maybe??? So, I believe that there is nothing new in life and that what we are facing now, happened even way back when Moses was leading his people out to the promise land. It appears to me that the hatred of terrorists is the hatred that generations in those areas have passed along to the newer generation; until here, today in America, and with the rest of the world, we are harvesting the hatred that those generations have sown. In fact, I see Osama bin Laden as the pure body and flesh of the hatred of all of those years of wars and fights.

I don't think I've ever read a more delightful book on Biblical history. Bruce Feiler has done a remarkable job of creating an engaging, readable account of his journey through the first five books of the Old Testament. His actual physical journey takes him as close as possible to the original paths traveled by those famous Biblical characters from Abraham to Moses. The journey takes us across five countries, thousands of miles, into deserts, to the tops of mountains and into ancient cities and long forgotten sites. Along the way, he continually reads the accounts of these areas as set forth in the Bible intending to tie the story to his own physical presence at each location. His traveling companions, the people he meets and his vivid descriptions make the journey come alive. Most importantly, he reinforces his belief in the Bible as the living word of God. Regardless of your personal beliefs, reading this book will be a big plus in your life. I only wish I could have tagged along on this trip!

Two incidents happened as I read "Walking the Bible" which convinced me of the book's success. First, a string of terrorist incidents in Israel and Kenya, on the U.S. Thanksgiving, which illustrated the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict that's repeatedly described in the book. Second, while I read the chapter set in Petra, the ancient Jordanian city featured in the climactic battle of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", I was interrupted with the news that "Last Crusade" was on TV that very minute. Since "Walking the Bible" is utterly devoid of pictures, I put the book down momentarily to watch the real thing for myself.

It was easier for Bruce Feiler to experience the many personal revelations he undergoes in "Walking the Bible". He had remarkable company -- archaelogist Avner Goren, his walking companion for most of the book's episodes, is former chief archaeologist of the Sinai peninsula. Feiler also interviews a bevy of other biblical archaeologists, and sits down with former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres. No typical tourist will ever receive this much direct insight into the region.

However, Feiler has written a great armchair journey for the rest of us. He divides his book (of course) into five parts, matching the Five Books of Moses he seeks to recreate. He journeys from Turkey to Mesopotamia to Israel, Egypt, the Sinai, and Jordan, reading passages from the Torah along the way to illustrate key moments in the story. "Walking" is part travelogue, part spiritual journey, part textbook, and part recipe book. The hunger Feiler feels in the desert is never explicitly mentioned, but the Georgia-born author must have been well and truly starving, because every three pages, a bit of timeless Biblical landscape is described in food metaphor. These are too numerous to mention, but I will say that the most bizarre is the Israeli truck that reminds him of a box of Sweet Tarts.

Because Feiler does so much wandering, both geographically and emotionally, some parts of "Walking the Bible" are inevitably less enjoyable than others. I felt that the strongest writing occurs in Jordan, at the end of the book, at the end of Moses' life. When Feiler gets into a Biblical argument with Muslim bedouins about just who Moses was, over discrepancies between the Torah and the Koran, it becomes easier to see just why the Middle East conflict has persisted for so long. The journey through the remnants of Petra, a city carved from sandstone cliffs, is truly awe-inspiring (again, despite the lack of pictures). I also enjoyed his journeys to Mount Ararat, the Great Pyramid, and the Wailing Wall.

As to the book's brief descriptions of 20th century conflict, some readers will doubtless be offended by the appearance of a Jordanian minister (whose own words reveal him to be a narrow-minded hypocrite), or by Feiler's interviews with American-born Israelis living in the disputed territories of the West Bank. However, in the context of the larger story -- four thousand years of history, in which little has truly changed -- I feel that these detours are necessary and well-balanced.

*Walking the Bible* recounts Bruce's Feiler's attempts to trace the footsteps of the patriarchs as they are recorded in the first five books of the Bible. It's a perennially interesting -- if unoriginal -- premise.

On the plus side, Feiler is a solid reporter. He spins good background, and he's persistent enough to go to some rough places and dig up some interesting people to talk with.

But just a few pages into this longish (428 page) endeavour, it's obvious Feiler is trying to write on an epic scale armed only with sitcom language. His voice and diction are consistently impoverished; in particular, his struggles trying to word-paint landscapes are initially laughable and eventually unreadable. Other reviewers have noted his inexplicable reliance on junk food metaphors to describe landscape features, and they have not exaggerated.

More damning, however, is Feiler's inability to communicate much that's new or interesting about the places he sees or, as he's more consciously striving to do, about his own internal journey running in parallel with his travels. His 'insights' are banal and repetitious. He also can't resist flashing an 'Admire Me' sign every time he's been 'enlightened' -- and these breakthroughs occur with rather exhausting frequency. In fact, Feiler's epiphanies can be boiled down to:

1 Lots of people think the Bible is important, whether they believe its stories are literally true or not.

2 The land people live on is important and affects the ways they view the world.

And that's it. Feiler discovers, and re-discovers, and re-re-discovers these two valid but not exactly earth-shaking truisms, and like a dim but earnest terrier worries them, and gnaws on them, and drops them at our feet on nearly every page.

For a book conceived along similar lines but far superior in both depth of insight and quality of writing, please read William Dalrymple's *From the Holy Mountain* instead.

Bruce Feiler's Walking the Bible is a must read for any one desiring to edge themselves closer to the land where the Bible was born and continues to live. As an American student studying in Israel for the year, I am simply amazed by how true-to-life Feiler's descriptions are as he paints a picture of all of the history which stands in this land. I am so grateful to have found this book, for it brings everything to light-- It puts pieces of history and culture, both past and present together to depict the history of the lands of the Bible as an everliving presence. If one could create a detailed written map of the Bible lands, then this is exactly what Feiler has done. If you have never been to the Middle East and to the lands of the Bible, reading this book will transport you here and give you a starting glimpse at all the amazing history which is continually being uncovered. If you have been here (or are living here like me), the book adds to the very reality of the setting. Now, if you can just drum up all the money Feiler needed to make this trip (his tour is amazing because of its extensiveness!), you can follow in his footsteps. :-) Nonetheless, I think this book makes an excellent prelude to a trip to the Middle East, whether you are coming here definitely or just thinking or dreaming about it. Enjoy the read... You will learn so much from the book.