Book review: 'The World of the Bible: Biblical Stories and the Archaeology Behind Them' is a fascinating book that melds history, art, and the Bible

As a Christian, I wondered how a secular organization like National Geographic would pull off a book like, "The World of the Bible." And honestly, they did a pretty good job. This book gives synopses of 30 Biblical stories and each one is accompanied by different works of art spanning hundreds of years. Accompanying Bible references are given, so the actual stories can easily be found.

But my favorite part of this book was all the historical and archeological anecdotes I was able to learn about. After reading about Noah and the Ark, I turned the page to read about other ark stories from cultures vastly different from the one Noah lived in, but that yet closely resembled the account I've read in the Bible. Learning about the Ark Tablet, a clay tablet in a London museum that tells a slightly different variation of the ark story, was fascinating. Seeing the photo of it was amazing. I'd never heard of coracles (round boats still used around the world) before and seeing the photo of one being built was a great educational experience.

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This book explains things like how the Red Sea could have mathematically and geographically parted. It even gives examples of an occurrence in the 1800s when strong wind pushed water back five feet in the Nile Delta.

Other archaeological discoveries, like finding an ancient boat dating back to the time of Christ in the Sea of Galilee, why the Church of the Nativity is believed to be the actual place where Jesus was born, and why being a scribe was so important during ancient times, add depth and knowledge to Bible stories. Of course, (here I go on my normal National Geographic gushing) the accompanying photos are amazing and seeing so many places and artifacts is a huge bonus.

Starting with Adam and Eve and ending with the conversion of Paul, "The World of the Bible" is a seriously awesome read that is Christian-friendly for anyone who is interested in history or science.

"The World of the Bible" contains nothing offensive and is probably most interesting for 4th grade through college graduate.

Born in Boston, author Jill Rubalcaba is a former model with a Bachelor's degree in mathematics. She's restored houses, taught college, and worked diagnostics on the Patriot Missile. She now writes.