Are you looking for a great Bible Atlas for some serious Bible study? Then you will want to give this atlas by Anson Rainey and Steven Notley serious consideration. It has much going for it. Carta maps, the best we have, are the primary asset here. Then you will learn that this is a concise edition of the most comprehensive Bible Atlas in print–The Sacred Bridge: Carta’s Atlas of the Biblical World. Fortunately,  the parts missing from this volume will likely be the things least missed by Bible students. What remains is an incredible Bible Atlas at half the price.

The authors brought different strengths to the project. Rainey (died in 2011) was considered the greatest scholar on the historical geography of Israel of his generation. Notley, who authored the chapters on the New Testament, is a warm believer who lived in Israel for many years and mastered his subject. I often find myself not agreeing with conclusions in the text, especially in the OT section, but there is hardly a better compendium of scholarly thought.

Then there are those maps! That is what I most want in an atlas. So I use those maps and get an update on what the scholarly world is thinking. There is detailed archaeological information that is a gold mine as well.

As a pastor, I have thought that The Carta Bible Atlas, by the same publisher, was the best we have. This volume is a rival and actually a fine compliment. I am glad to have both to consult. This one has more historical geography, the other more actual Bible events covered. This one has more color and visual beauty, the other has more obscure passages illumined.

This is a phenomenal volume!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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