Where God Was Born: A Daring Adventure Through the Bible's Greatest Stories (P.S.)
by Bruce Feiler
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Book Summary Information
Author: Bruce FeilerEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-02-05
ISBN: 0060574895
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Book Reviews of Where God Was Born: A Daring Adventure Through the Bible's Greatest Stories (P.S.)
Book Review: Very Easy to Listen to and Thought Provoking
Summary: 5 Stars
This audiobook, read by the author, is entertaining and light-hearted enough to make for easy listening. You don't have to prepare yourself for a lecture. The author weaves various historical information and present-day observations into his unique travelogue. It's a winning technique and merges travel literature with biblical commentary.
Long after listening to the book, there are parts that stuck with me and I still think about them. The first one was Feiler's description of Jericho, or more precisely the battle of Jericho. One wonders what the residents of Jericho did to deserve utter annihilation, with the killing of every man, woman and child. At this stage, Feiler was with Yoram Yair, one of the most decorated generals in Israel's history, who described the psychological effect of the marching around the walled city before destroying it. One can never think of Jericho the same way again. One can also never think of the desert wandering Jews in search of a homeland for which they will fight in the same way again. This also causes reflection of the problem of a people to establish a homeland by destroying the local inhabitants to achieve it.
Feiler also describes David (later King David) in a very unique way. He seems full of guile and treacherous, yet we know the scriptures describe him as a man after God's heart. With the background and perspective of Feiler, one cannot only never think of David the same way again, but one is drawn into reflection of what attributes win God's heart at least if the scriptures are relied upon.
Later Feiler travels in Iraq and goes to the ruins of the Great Ziggurat of Ur. The temple was built in the 21st century BC and as he describes it, the top is gone but it is still a massive structure. Of all the sites he visited, this is the one that I would like to visit the most. This very early city-state emerged as a local power so long ago because, it is believed, they mastered irrigation techniques that provided agricultural productivity. And this is supposed to be where Abraham came from. The geography has changed a great deal over time as have the locations of the great rivers, and thus one cannot see what the ancients saw.
Feiler then goes to the ruins of Babylon and explains how Babylon became a nation-state, and he takes time to explain that development beyond what was accomplished at Ur. Feiler takes the position that the Jewish exile to Babylon was quite beneficial in the long run to the Jews. And later he and his wife visit Iran to experience the ancient ruins of the city of King Cyrus, who ruled an actual empire. Feiler seems to have nothing but positive things to say about the manner in which King Cyrus ruled.
This is an entertaining travel book with many anecdotal observations. If Feiler has an agenda or if he is not correct in his religious perspectives, it doesn't matter to me. I found the book informative and entertaining. Since he deals with religion, this certainly is not a book for everyone as there will always be some that it offends and others that are scholars and find errors in the facts presented. My evaluation is on the basis that I found the book entertaining, informative and thought-provoking. I did not review this book on correctness of religion.
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Summary of Where God Was Born: A Daring Adventure Through the Bible's Greatest Stories (P.S.)
At a time when America debates its values and the world braces for religious war, Bruce Feiler, author of the New York Times bestsellers Walking the Bible and Abraham, travels ten thousand miles through the heart of the Middle East-Israel, Iraq, and Iran-and examines the question: Is religion tearing us apart ... or can it bring us together?
Where God Was Born combines the adventure of a wartime chronicle, the excitement of an archaeological detective story, and the insight of personal spiritual exploration. Taking readers to biblical sites not seen by Westerners for decades, Feiler's journey uncovers little-known details about the common roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and affirms the importance of the Bible in today's world.
In his intimate, accessible style, Feiler invites readers on a never-in-a-lifetime experience:
- Israel Feiler takes a perilous helicopter dive over Jerusalem, treks through secret underground tunnels, and locates the spot where David toppled Goliath.
- Iraq After being airlifted into Baghdad, Feiler visits the Garden of Eden and the birthplace of Abraham, and makes a life-threatening trip to the rivers of Babylon.
- Iran Feiler explores the home of the Bible's first messiah and uncovers the secret burial place of Queen Esther.
In Where God Was Born, Feiler discovers that at the birth of Western religion, all faiths drew from one another and were open to coexistence. Feiler's bold realization is that the Bible argues for interfaith harmony. It cannot be ceded to one side in the debate over values. Feiler urges moderates to take back the Bible and use its powerful voice as a beacon of shared ideals.
In his most ambitious work to date, Bruce Feiler has written a brave, uplifting story that stirs the deepest chords of our time. Where God Was Born offers a rare, universal vision of God that can inspire different faiths to an allegiance of hope.
Bruce Feiler's latest book combines now familiar elements into his own peculiar, delightful alchemy. Any particular page may be found effortlessly weaving together strands of theology, biblical exegesis, physical exploration, history and personal reflection as Feiler continues his journey of discovery, looking at the common roots of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The Middle East has become a more dangerous place since the writing of his first book in this vein, Walking the Bible. But Feiler is impelled to answer his continued call, even when a flak jacket is necessary. He explores tunnels under Jerusalem. Goes to where David may have slain Goliath. Even looks for the Garden of Eden in Iraq while acknowledging that "the garden would never be found." It is this externalization of searches typically only made in the heart that fascinates us and brings power to Feiler's narrative. In one of the more compelling sections of the book, a meditation on Jonah, Feiler makes a persuasive argument that "God cares only that you conduct yourself in a moral way. And what might come across as preaching in another context is instead organic; Feiler's ideas seem to grow as much out of his travel and present-day experience as they do from Scripture and history. Of particular interest is his writing on King Cyrus II. He travels to Persepolis, in modern-day Iran, and finds an ancient precedent for religious tolerance in this king who helped the Jews build the Second Temple. Feiler provokes us to reflect that if the Bible itself can sing the praises of a king who accepted the various religions of those he ruled, perhaps there is hope we can find room for more tolerance in our own time. Highly recommended.--Ed Dobeas
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