A work of challenging profundity, charged with the deepest emotions and containing some of the most compelling stories ever told, the Bible has had an immeasurable impact on Western culture. For countless generations, it has been a powerful means of spiritual guidance, an unmatched source ofinspiration to artists, a comfort in suffering, and a focal point for reflection on the mysteries of life. Now, The Illustrated Guide to the Bible distills the essence of this great work in over one hundred generously illustrated commentaries on the major stories, places, characters, and events in the Bible, from the Garden of Eden and the suffering of Job to the Last Supper and the Book ofRevelation. Beautifully illustrated with over 300 full-color reproductions, photographs, and maps, this engaging volume places its subject in historical and geographical context, comparing themes presented in the Bible with corresponding myths from a wide variety of cultures. Boxed sidebarsthroughout provide interesting background information on important themes and symbols (such as the dove and the lily) and full-color maps illustrate places and events (such as the city of Babylon and Paul's final voyage to Rome). The final section presents an invaluable and fully cross-referencedbook-by-book summary of the Bible, a glossary of biblical terms, and a comprehensive bibliography and index. Superbly illustrated with photographs of art, artifacts, and landscapes, and with magnificent paintings, charts, maps, and family trees, the highly accessible Illustrated Guide to the Bible is an essential volume for every home and library, the first place to turn for information on thisseminal book of Western culture. Read Less