Have you often wondered how the stories in the Bible relate to today’s world? I, for one, have done that many times. Many times I’ve tried to draw parallel lines between today and yesterday. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. But within the pages of this book Addi ben Zuriel, the central character, brings new understanding to an old story.

In the Bible Jesus tells this young man, Addi, that in order to find eternal life he (Addi) should sell all of his possessions and follow the Lord. Of course Addi is skeptical since it is he, along with an elite band of Pharisees, who are seemingly preparing for a great leader in the guise of their Messiah to arise and with a vast army break the people freefrom the chains of Rome’s rule.

 

What follows is the story of how Addi comes to accept Jesus as the Messiah; it also takes Addi quite some time to reailze that the ‘new world order’ is not to be of this world but a kingdom of the heart. Through the perils and intrigues of a Biblical Jerusalem at Passover, we follow Addi as he in turn follows Jesus through the Passover and ultimately through the crucifixion. We become friends with the disciples and with Jesus’s mother Mary.

 

I wish the Bible could be retold in a manner similar to this book. It is easy to read and understand. For me, it was also easy to see the amount of research that has gone into this tome. And while it can easily be read in a day or two I took several weeks to finish it, allowing myself the time to absorb the personal meanings. It is a book rich in detail yet easily understood.

 

I look forward to reading another book by Richard Hackett. Note: This Kindle edition did have several typos, however, not enough to interfere with the enjoyment of the story.

Please note that all proceeds from the sale of Mr. Hackett’s books go to fund the work of SeaMercy, a non-profit organization that brings healthcare to the remote islands of the South Pacific. www.seamercy.org

Bible History Old Testament: New Updated Edition by Alfred Edersheim (?)

Wow, this is a treat, this little gem of a military history. Battles of the Bible: A Military History of Ancient Israel is the ultimate military historian’s “been there, done that” account of ancient battles. Herzog and Gichon, two WWII veterans of the British Army and later, the IDF, apply modern military principles and terminology to the accounts in the Bible, supplemented with other sources. We are introduced to war and peace in this crossroads of civilization from before Abraham until the battles of the Maccabees ending around 160 B.C. Along the way, they treat us to a seminar on battle tactics, grand strategy, political maneuvering, diplomatic endeavors, terrain analysis, logistics, offensive and defensive plans, multi-national expeditions, guerilla warfare, etc. Using information from the Bible and other contemporary sources, the authors explain how the forces operated and were influenced by the geography from Egypt to the Euphrates valley.

Gichon and Herzog overlay the bible’s accounts of events and participants, adjust or estimate time frames according to what is likely to have happened and then place the events on the actual terrain. What follows are clear explanations of moves and tactics by the Hebrews, their allies and their opponents. What is so interesting is they often give examples of modern day battles that occurred at the same places and how similar outcomes happened 2500 years ago. For example, Abraham apparently participates in the battle of the 4 Hyksos kings against the 5 kings of the Dead Sea. He sets up a successful night ambush near Damascus. Looking at the likely terrain, the authors then place ancient and modern battles in the same area:

It is tempting to suggest the Barada gorge northwest of Damascus, an ancient highway and scene of many an ambush, as the setting for Abraham's battle. It was here that, in a similar outflanking movement along the same direction Abraham must have taken, the Australian Mounted Division ambushed and annihilated the retreating Turkish Fourth Army on the night of 30 Sept 1918.

We see the next 1700 years of conflict placed in military context. For instance, the campaign to take the promised land by Joshua is discussed as, 1) gathering intelligence by sending the spies to Jericho and establishing a foothold there, west of the Jordan; 2) the next phase of establishing a base of operations in the central mountains at Ai; and 3) expanding the base by spreading along the central highlands. We get maps, tactical diagrams, illustrations and photos of the terrain for these discussions. This process continues throughout the various periods and conflicts.

This is not a religious book, per se, although religion is discussed as a motivating factor in morale building and steadfastness over the years. I heartily recommend this to any Mideast military history buff and anyone interested in bringing to life, the people behind the Bible stories. 5 Stars! Permanent place on the military shelf.

The Book of Daniel: The Commentary of R.... This is about as good a book as I have read about the "left" in the US. It is so good because it's so ambiguous. This stuff isn't black and white and this novel, especially the pomo style, really emphasizes the difficulties of it.