Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts

Publisher: Thomas Nelson 
Publication Date: January 2010 
ISBN:978-1418541712 
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler 
Review Date: February 2010

Bible study is not only a solo venture, it is one shared by couples, small groups of people and at times, entire churches. No matter what version of the Bible you choose to use, there are certain facts that remain the same. For example, when Joseph was cast out by his brothers and sold into slavery just where are those places he went? We know the family lived in Hebron from whence his father sent him to Shechem where his brothers were tending sheep. They weren’t there so Joseph traveled on to Dothan where he was thrown into the infamous pit. Bethel and Gaza are on the map, but where do they come in? This map is just a small part of what this wonderful book of “Bible Maps and Charts” has to offer the reader. This book helps everyone from the casual browser to the serious Biblical scholar visualize and find their way through the Bible.

Nelson’s Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts nicely follows the Bible in chronological order, making it easier to follow and access maps and charts. Two major sections are naturally the Old and New Testaments. We see the major divisions being the Pentateuch, the historical books, wisdom literature, the prophetic books, the four gospels, the epistles of Paul and the general epistles. Each of these major sections has an introductory page or pages that discuss and outline the included books. Individual books have a very short introduction, discuss the author, date, themes and literary structure. Depending on the emphasis of the book the reader may find maps, informative “At a Glance” sidebars, comparative sidebars, outlines and more!

This is a very comprehensive book that adds tremendous informative visuals to aid in any Bible study. It is one of those “at a glance” type of books that helps the reader quickly access a lot of information without having to search through several books or, in this case, atlases. It would be very useful to the leader of a Bible study, but my opinion is that each and every member of a group would get a lot out of it and would be able to add their own voice to the study. In the back of the book there are alphabetical and Biblical indexes of full-page maps and charts. One feature I liked is that when I wanted to look at a map or particular section the book pages remained relatively flat and open and I didn’t lose my place. For what is offered in this book, you are looking at a Bible study bargain!

Quill says: If you need a book of charts and maps for your Bible study, this comprehensive book is one of those “at a glance” books that will offer a lot to your group!