The Biblical World: An Illustrated Atlas
The scope of the biblical world is large, but this mass of history is concisely packaged in The Biblical World: An Illustrated Atlas. Like most National Geographic material, the work is professional, thorough, and geared not to scholars but to the average person. Readers will enjoy the balance between the visual and the verbal.   The visual component includes photos, artwork, archaeological images, and, of course, maps. The photos are prolific and in full color. The maps, numbering slightly more than 45, are typically large, with plenty of detail. Like many biblically based atlases, the verbal portion of the volume consists largely of a retelling of scripture, with occasional insights that a scholar can offer.    The atlas is organized by biblical chronology, complete with a running time line across the bottom of roughly half the pages. The time line spans from about 9000 BCE to 392 CE. Numerous sidebars are scattered throughout the volume, highlighting topics related to the corresponding text. Among the subjects addressed in the sidebars are Assyrian astronomy, the secret of Hezekiah’s Tunnel, the dating of the Exodus, and what Jesus may have looked like. The volume concludes with an index of moderate length and a list of further-reading suggestions for each of the book’s 11 chapters.   The tone and appearance of the atlas suggest an audience that may not wish to get bogged down in technical information. Its photos and maps are pleasing to the eye and serve to break up (and complement) the text in a well-balanced manner. This combination makes The Biblical World a user-friendly tool for a nonacademic library collection. Those looking for a wider selection of maps—even those highlighting less-significant biblical events—may prefer The Carta Bible Atlas, previously, The Macmillan Bible Atlas (1993), which boasts more than 250 maps. --Wade Osburn