Books in Brief

Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Manners and Customs

Howard F. Vos (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1999) 661 pp., $29.99 (hardback)

The title of the first chapter tells it all: “Discovering How Bible Peoples Really Lived.” Spanning about 2,000 years from “Life in Abraham’s Hometown” to “Rome and Italy in the Career of Paul,” 20 time periods are divided into nine identical subtopics, including The Land, Government, Religion, Housing, Diet and Family Life. Not a history book, this volume is a mini-encyclopedia for the reader with Bible in hand. It digests several hundred years of archaeological finds in the ancient world and organizes them as they illuminate “individuals, great and small.” Offsetting the disappointment of murky black-and-white photos and 30 pages of color images of uneven quality are notes and bibliography at the end of each chapter as well as a useful scripture index and general bibliography.

Ancient Jerusalem Revealed Supplement