Complete Idiot's Guide to Biblical Mysteries (Paperback)

~ Donald Ryan (Author) "Many call it "the Good Book," but just how good is it?..." (more)
Key Phrases: fabulous fakes, New Testament, Old Testament, Words of Wisdom (more...)

Product Details

• Paperback: 1 pages
• Publisher: Alpha Books (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 002863831X
• ISBN-13: 978-0028638317
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #465,857 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly interesting!, May 12, 2000

By	JEFF (Puyallup, Washington) - See all my reviews

Anyone with an interest in the Bible will probably enjoy this book. I certainly did! The book presents the Bible as a vitally important and influential library of texts loaded with mystery and controversy. Some of the topics I personally found of interest were the search for Noah's Ark and the Ark of the Covenant, the story of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other controversial documents, and the interesting exposé of the Bible code phenomenon. The author takes on the more touchy subjects without being condescending or judgmental and I thoroughly appreciated the range of views presented including scientific and religious perspectives. Ryan's background as an archaeologist is clear through much of the book as he regularly incorporates archaeological evidence in the chapters.

Before I read this book, my Bible knowledge was sketchy at best and now afterwards, I can say that my knowledge and interest in the Bible, archaeology and ancient documents has increased dramatically. I very highly recommend this very well written and often provocative book!

30 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Interesting at times, but a little disappointing, too., March 10, 2002

By	Michael Freeman (Blanchard, OK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm a bit surprised that all the reviews up until now have given this book 5 stars! I bought the book expecting information on such topics as the possible locations of artificats such as Noah's Ark, the Ark of the Covenant, or on such controversial things as the Shroud of Turin. While these things were discussed (not in a whole lot of detail), at least half of the entire book was nothing more than an overview of the contents of the Bible!

I suppose that someone who is not familiar with the Bible would find this a good introduction, but anyone who has spent any time at all reading and/or studying the Bible will probably be bored and/or disappointed. The lack of depth is one reason; another reason for disappointment is that the book is written from a somewhat skeptical stance (albeit a benevolent one). Certainly the book was intended to appeal to a general audience, and I understand that. My only point is that someone who really understands the Bible is likely to be turned off.

The other thing that surprised me was the author's surprising lack of understanding when it comes to simple Biblical facts, not to mention the deeper truths of the Bible. For instance, at one point he says that James, one of the 12 apostles/disciples, was Jesus' brother. He confuses this James with the author of the book by the same name, the Pastor of the church of Jerusalem. The books of Matthew and Mark both clearly state that James the Apostle was the son of Alphaeus. (There was a second apostle/disciple by the same name, he was the brother of John, the son of Zebedee).

In another place, the author says that the early Christians celebrated the Sabbath on Sunday, instead of Friday, as the Jews had. Assuming he was talking about the weekly sabbath (the Jews celebrated other "special sabbaths," too), this was Saturday, not Friday.

And finally, while this is a common error, he also says that Jesus was executed on Friday. While this error is propogated by those who celebrate "Good Friday," it simply isn't so. Christ died no later than Thursday, probably Wednesday.

So, in summary, this book probably isn't worth the expense. If you're wanting either a book on Biblcal archaeology or a Biblical study guide there are certainly better (and more accurate) choices available.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unmasking the Mysteries of the Bible, July 5, 2000

By	Lynne A. Cole (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

Dr. Donald P. Ryan does it again with this, his second book in "The Complete Idiot's Guide" series (see "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Lost Civilizations"). Laid out in the typical format for this series, Dr. Ryan examines the most well-known biblical mysteries in a manner that is neither judgmental nor opinionated, leaving the reader to form his or her own opinion about the facts presented. Personally, I've always been challenged with understanding the meaning of the various stories in the Bible and was quite pleased to find that Dr. Ryan presents his information in a thorough, clear and concise manner. Covering the Bible from Genesis through Revelation, from lost books to sacred artifacts, Dr. Ryan educates and informs the reader in an entertaining manner with the most fascinating tidbits of information. I most highly recommend this book for both the casually interested reader as well as one who is quite familiar with biblical history. Reading this latest book of Dr. Ryan's has left me with a desire to learn yet more about this, the most published book on Earth, the Bible.