Reading Suggestions for Travelers to the Bible Lands

 Note that links to Amazon are my associate links


GENERAL BIBLE HISTORY

To get the big picture of the biblical lands and the biblical history, I recommend a Bible atlas. It will provide a historical overview, so information is not organized according to sites. It will have lots of maps and photos that will help you link a site to its place in the Bible.

·         For a concise Bible history overview and atlas, I am happy to recommend the atlas I co-authored: Atlas of the Biblical World. It’s available on Kindle and as a durable paperback intended to withstand the rigors of travel.

·         I really like the Crossway ESV Bible Atlas. It is what I use in the Bible Lands class, but it’s too big to carry to Israel! You can get the Kindle version, however.

 

TURKEY and GREECE Travel Books

 

Guides to the Sites

There are numerous travel guides to Turkey and Greece. Some are more for the general tourist and provide information about sites to visit as well as about hotels, shopping, etc. These can be quite helpful, but for the traveler interested in the biblical sites, there are organized according to the sites and focus on the history and provide specifics about visiting a site.

·         The archaeological excavations keep changing the sites, so this book is getting just a bit dated (2003), but my top recommendation is A Guide to Biblical Sites in Greece and Turkey by Fant and Reddish. Note that it covers both countries, and it’s only $10 in the Kindle version.

·         Other good ones to consider that are more recent:

o   Biblical Turkey: A Guide to the Jewish and Christian Sites of Asia Minor by Mark Wilson (2010).

o   Greco-Roman Cities of Aegean Turkey: History, Archaeology, Architecture by Henry Matthews (2014)

o   Christian Origins in Ephesus and Asia Minor by Mark R. Fairchild (2017). Fairchild is one of the leading experts on archaeological sites in Turkey. (He teaches Turks training to be guides.) The book is organized by topic but includes maps, photos, and maps of almost every site we visit.

·         Some general travel guides to consider:

o   A Traveller's History of Turkey by Richard Stoneman

o   Fodor’s guides to Greece and Turkey

oDK Eyewitness guides to Greece and Turkey

o   For Rick Steves fans: Greece and Turkey

o   Greece: An Oxford Archaeological Guide: Also includes information on all the classical sites

 

Historical Fiction Novels before Visiting Turkey and Greece

 

Here are some historical fiction novels written by biblical scholars with stories set in the places of Paul, Revelation, and the early church in Turkey and Greece.

Links provided are my Amazon associate links. Most are rather quick reads, but they are a great way of learning about the social context of the early church. They are especially fun to read in connection with sites you have or plan to visit!

Before buying a book, you can check if your public (or seminary) library has it, but do check out Hoopla. This is an online book borrowing service that you may have available through your local public library. They have at least four of these books that you can ‘check out’ digitally for free.

Summary blurbs are from Amazon, and I have added some comments.

Not Turkey or Greece but others in the series related to the early church:

 

·         A Week in the Life of Rome by James L. Papandrea
In first-century Rome, following Jesus comes at a tremendous social cost. An urbane Roman landowner and merchant is intrigued by the Christian faith―but is he willing to give up his status and lifestyle to join the church? Meanwhile his young client, a catechumen in the church at Rome, is beginning to see just how much his newfound faith will require of him. A Week in the Life of Rome is a cross section of ancient Roman society, from the overcrowded apartment buildings of the poor to the halls of the emperors. Against this rich backdrop, illuminated with images and explanatory sidebars, we are invited into the daily struggles of the church at Rome just a few years before Paul wrote his famous epistle to them. A gripping tale of ambition, intrigue, and sacrifice, James Papandrea's novel is a compelling work of historical fiction that shows us the first-century Roman church as we've never seen it before.

·         Phoebe: A Story by Paula Gooder
Sometime around 56 AD, the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome. He entrusted this letter to Phoebe, whom he describes as the deacon of the church at Cenchreae and a patron of many. But who was this remarkable woman? Biblical scholar and popular author and speaker Paula Gooder imagines Phoebe's story―who she was, the life she lived, and her first-century faith―and in doing so opens up Paul's world, giving a sense of the cultural and historical pressures that shaped his thinking and the faith of the early church. After the narrative, Gooder includes an extensive notes section with comments on the historical context, biographical details, cultural practices, and more. Rigorously researched, this is a book for anyone who wants to engage more deeply and imaginatively with Paul's theology.

 

ISRAEL, PALESTINE, and JORDAN Travel Books

 

General Bible History

To get the big picture of the biblical lands and the biblical history, I recommend a Bible atlas. It will provide a historical overview, so information is not organized according to sites. It will have lots of maps and photos that will help you link a site to its place in the Bible.

·         I really like the Crossway ESV Bible Atlas. It is what I use in the Bible Lands class, but it’s too big to carry to Israel! You can get the Kindle version, however.

·         For a concise Bible history overview and atlas, I am happy to recommend the atlas I co-authored: Atlas of the Biblical World. It’s available on Kindle and as a durable paperback intended to withstand the rigors of travel.

 

Guides to the Sites

·         The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide by Jerome Murphy-O’Connor. As archaeological excavations continue, this one is getting a bit dated (2008), but it is the one I recommend.

·         An Illustrated Guide to the Holy Land for Tour Groups, Students, and Pilgrims by Lamontte M. Luker. This is a pocketable guide also available in Kindle.

 

Background for the Political Situation

·         For something that is engaging reading that will help you understand the current realities in the land, try Tolan’s . The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East or Chacour’s Blood Brothers.

·         Mitri Raheb is a Lutheran pastor in Bethlehem who has become a prominent voice for Palestinian people. He has written many books you might find interesting. (Try Faith in the Face of Empire.)

·         Check out A Hitchhiker's Guide to Jesus: Reading the Gospels on the Ground, especially if you are a seminary student. It’s an excellent mix of tour guide and Bible reading guide.

 

Historical Fiction Novels before Visiting Israel, Palestine, and Jordan