The View from Nebo: How Archeology is Rewriting the Bible and Reshaping the Middle East

As a person who once lived at the base of Mount Nebo (Arkansas that is), I suppose I am as qualified as anyone else writing a review for this book. I rather enjoyed this when I purchased it several years ago in my study of biblical archeology and then my re-reading recently when I became interested in the Nag Hammadi discoveries and 2nd century manuscripts in general. It must be understood that the author - who by the way spent several years in the middle east as a journalist - wrote this book for the average Joe; not the scholar. And as an average Joe, I found it to be a pleasant tour guide through some of the less visited arenas in this part of the globe. We (or most of us) are all well aware that the Bible is not a history book nor it is a consistent geography map as the various writers and various memories strayed from the path on occasion. Bearing this in mind, the actual scratching of the soil leads to some conclusions that leave us scratching our heads. Overall, it is a good read and will lead to deeper thought in a plethora of areas that a learned person will want to further explore. Well done Amy Dockser Marcus. You might also enjoy these books - Discovery!: Unearthing the New Treasures of Archaeology, Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why (Plus) and The First Paul: Reclaiming the Radical Visionary Behind the Church's Conservative Icon I hope you find this review helpful. Michael L. Gooch, SPHR

A history of the Jewish people in Palestine as revealed in the archeological record, from Abraham until the Romans. Marcus' primary objectives are to assess the historical accuracy of the Bible and to provide an introduction to the various theories of what the Bible omits or gets wrong. She also give the reader a very good feel for the land, and to a lesser extent the archeologists, and the digs. Understanding Jewish history requires some understanding of the other Middle Eastern peoples as well as the approach to ruling an empire of the major powers, Babylonia, Assyria, and Persia. Her style is more discursive, and less organized than I would like, although this is more true of some chapters than others. Too often she is a reporter, reporting on what various archeologists have to say, rather than a student of the material, providing a coherent view of what is currently known, and alternative possibilities. Still, overall she does a good job, and much of the material is fascinating.

This is a lovely book, one that I really enjoyed reading. It made me look at the Bible in a new way, and at the Middle East. What I found most interesting were the connections made thoughout the book between the past and the present, and the way the Bible has stayed relevant throughout the ages even as scholars, historians, and now archaeologists change the way that we view the text. This isn't a dry or academic study -- it is filled with fascinating details about the people and the digs as well as the biblical history -- and the mixture of Bible stories, archaeology, and the modern debates made the book rich and accessible, particularly to someone like me who loves the Bible and history but is not in the professional field. I am going to recommend it to our book group.

I just finished reading the View from Nebo and I loved it. I picked it up not knowing what to expect, and was suprised by how much is going on in the field of archaeology and the Bible. This book is really a history of an idea that has fascinated people for generations - how was the bible created - and it also takes the next step, showing how the Bible is being recreated, by the many archaeological discoveries being made. Some of the discoveries aren't even the kind you'll see on the Discovery channel. No claims about the lost ark or the Garden of Eden by the archaeologists here. Instead what's amazing is how even the little things, like an olive pit or a piece of wheat, help archaeologists reconstruct an entire world. Still, many of the archaeologists in this book are quirky characters and we get to meet them, and see how what's happening in the modern Middle East and inside their own countries affects the way they interpret their material and how the tales of these modern mythmakers are received! I was startled by some of what I learned, and it has made me look at the Bible, and what people say about the Bible, in a different way. I highly recommend this book! Five stars.

The View From Nebo is not just about the Bible, or about archaeology, or about the Middle East. It's about all three, and that's what I found so interesting about it. Amy Dockser Marcus weaves together archaeological finds and how they might change well-known biblical accounts-such as the story of the Israelites' Exodus from Egypt and the image of King Solomon as the Bible's greatest builder-along with what's happening in the Middle East today. Each chapter gives you background about the traditional reading of the biblical text and also explains how archaeology might add or change that story. Marcus is a journalist, so the style of writing is very accessible and the book moves very quickly. It made me want to join a dig this summer!