The Rose Then and Now Bible Map Atlas with Biblical Background and Culture is not an easy-to-read volume that one could devour in a matter of hours. The text is complex, incorporating cross-references and annotations where appropriate as well as maps of the Holy Land as it was in ancient times with clear overlays showing modern political divisions and nomenclature of the same areas. There are many illustrations, timelines, and photographs liberally sprinkled thoughout this book. The text is divided into 24 chapters, the last 22 of which focus on important characters we meet in the Bible. The first two chapters focus on the background information. The book also features a comprehensive introduction, bibliography, and index.

I normally base my reviews on the full reading of a book, but in this case, the formulaic construction makes the full reading unnecessary to evaluate the quality of this publication. Despite the complexity of this book, it is worthy of the time and attention required to study the material. I do not recommend attempting to read this volume from cover-to-cover like you would read a novel. Instead, as you study Genesis, read the first two chapters of this atlas. Then move on to the chapters featuring Moses and Joshua as you study Exodus, etc. The chapters do not need to be read in the order they appear in this book. The information concerning the Biblical Background and Culture contained in this volume will greatly enhance your understanding of the Bible.

Due to the complexity of the material, I do not recommend this book to those under the age of 17, but for anyone mature enough to understand the material, I would highly recommend this book, especially if one is interested in doing in-depth studies of biblical topics or persons.

While this volume was purchased by me, I do sometimes accept books free in exchange for review. Nevertheless, whether I purchase a book or whether I receive it in exchange for review, all opinions stated in the review remain mine, and I never accept financial compensation for posting reviews.

This review has been posted on Dragonviews, Amazon, Rose Publishing, Librarything and Christianbook.com ( )

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Logos Library