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| Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses | 
 enlarge | Author: Bruce Feiler
Publisher: William Morrow
Category: Book
List Price: $26.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (91 reviews)
Sales Rank: 547011
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.6 x 1.6
ISBN: 0380977753
Dewey Decimal Number: 915.60454
EAN: 9780380977758
ASIN: 0380977753
Publication Date: April 1, 2001
Release Date: March 20, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
One part adventure story, one part archaeological detective work, one part spiritual exploration, Walking the Bible vividly recounts an inspiring personal odyssey -- by foot, jeep, rowboat, and camel -- through the greatest stories ever told. Feeling a desire to reconnect to the Bible, award-winning author Bruce Feller set out on a perilous, ten-thousand-mile journey, retracing the Five Books of Moses through the desert. Traveling through three continents, five countries, and four war zones, Feller is the first person to complete such a historic expedition. He crosses the Red Sea, climbs Mount Sinai, and interviews bedouin and pilgrims alike, as he attempts to answer the question: Is the Bible just an abstraction or is it a living, breathing entity? Along with renowned archaeologist Avner Goren, Feller treks through Turkey, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Egypt, the Sinai, and Jordan, visiting the actual places of some of history's most storied events, from the mountain where Noah's ark landed to the site of the legendary burning bush. He visits the desert outpost in Turkey where Abraham first heard the words of God and faces arrest while camping on Mount Nebo in Jordan, where Moses overlooked the Promised Land. In each Place, he scrupulously gathers the latest archaeological research and sits down to read the stories in their natural surroundings. With eloquence and insight, he explores how geography affects the larger narrative of the Bible and ultimately realizes how much these places -- and his experience -- have affected his own faith. Both a pulse-pounding adventure and an uplifting spiritual quest, Bruce Feller's Walking the Bible is a stunning and elevating work of courage, scholarship, and heart. It revisits the inscrutable desert landscape where the world's great religions were born and uncovers fresh answers to the most profound questions of the human spirit.
Amazon.com Review
Walking the Bible: A Journey by Land Through the Five Books of Moses is the story of Bruce Feiler's 10,000-mile trek from Mount Ararat to Mount Nebo, undertaken for reasons he did not understand at the outset and accompanied by a companion who was very nearly a stranger. In the book's first chapter, in characteristically understated style, Feiler suggests a viable parallel to his journey: Abraham was not originally the man he became. He was not an Israelite, he was not a Jew. He was not even a believer in God--at least initially. He was a traveler, called by some voice not entirely clear that said: Go, head to this land, walk along this route, and trust what you will find. Feiler, a fifth-generation American Jew from the South, had felt no particular attachment to the Holy Land. Yet during his journey, Feiler's previously abstract faith grew more grounded. ("I began to feel a certain pull from the landscape.... It was a feeling of gravity. A feeling that I wanted to take off all my clothes and lie facedown in the soil.") Feiler's attentiveness, intelligence, and adventurousness enliven every page of this book. And the lessons he learned about the relationship between place and the spirit will be useful for readers of every religious tradition that finds its origins in the Bible. --Michael Joseph Gross
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| Customer Reviews: Read 86 more reviews...
 Walking the Bible? More like Leading a Journey December 11, 2008
Before I say anything else, let me just say something very important. Whether you do or do not believe in or respect the Bible, you should still read this book. Those that are looking for a spiritual journey that will strengthen your faith will find it; those that are looking for a nice, engaging story will find that as well. Basically, anything positive you are hoping to get out of this book can be discovered.
Feiler takes the reader through an intriguing journey among the modern-day sites of historical Bible sites. In fact, Feiler even splits his book up into 5 parts, paralleling the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible). However, Feiler seems to have no intentions of converting any of his readers. He says that the main purpose of W.T.B. is to find answers for his own questions.
Feiler succeeds in this aspect. His language and style never come off as preachy or didactic; he is just telling a story. Thankfully, he is a master at this. He uses some of the most beautiful language and metaphors of any modern-day book I have ever read. At the same time, it is not difficult vocabulary; most children would also be able to read this book. Once you start reading a chapter, it is very hard to stop until the end. W.T.B. is great for short spurts of reading; every chapter is pretty self-contained, so there is no big story arch that must be followed linearly throughout the book.
I would recommend W.T.B. for anyone who, in the least, wants a good story. The ease of language and almost completely self-contained chapters make it easy for people of all ages to pick it up and read any time.
A Fascinating Journey through the Five Books of Moses December 9, 2008
Feiler's Walking the Bible brings the reader along on a journey to find something tangible in the Bible, something to allow him to connect with real places and things. He begins his journey after he realizes that he is no longer attached to the Bible and its characters even though he wants to be, at least as literature. He decides to travel to the places mentioned to see what concrete things from the pages he can find to bridge the gap between the abstract and reality.
The text uses intriguing, creative language and style to tell the story of sand, land, and discovery as Feiler travels from Mesopotamia to Mount Sinai with his tour guide, Avner Goren, who leads him to insight into the timeless stories in the Bible.
I thoroughly enjoyed the read, especially because of Feiler's rich description and captivating writing style. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking insight into the first five books of the Bible.
Walking the Bible September 16, 2008
This is an incredible companion to the book everyone should have both. They give you a new and wonderful prospective of the Bible and Gods Holy word. It truly brings it all alive. Once you see the places you have a new way of looking at what you read in the Bible you see the places and they become alive and more real that you ever thought they could be.
 Walking the Bible - Lite May 14, 2008
I started the book with enthusiasm and debated whether I'd give it four or five stars. Finishing the last page, the question was whether to give it three or four. Now that I've had a couple of weeks' for digestion, it's with generousity I give it three. The book should be titled Walking the Bible - Lite. Feiler says he read a room of books in preparation for his trek. Maybe so, but what he passes along is superficial. The book has a great premise. Many of the people he meets along the way and their cultures are fascinating. But, he never gets below the surface. Feiler's breezy writing style is easy to read, but sometimes less is more. Not everything needs a simile. Comparing a jagged mountain range to the edge of his just opened tuna can? Yikes! Much of the book deals with Feiler's gee whiz moments of spiritual awakening, connecting to his roots. I'm sure for him the experiences were profound. For me they're neither profound nor interesting.
The Old Testament comes to life!!! May 12, 2008
This is a dynamic journey that was a true hearted pleasure to read. Bruce Feiler reenacts and covers the terrain of Abraham, Noah, (Mt Ararat) Isaac and Jacob and brings these places back to life as in the time of the Torah. If you enjoy the Old Testament this book will not disappoint.
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