Walking the Bible

A Book Report on Bruce Feiler 's Walking the Bible

Bruce Feiler gives his readers new perspectives on the background of the events told in the Five Books of Moses , and on the Bible itself . The book is concerned with how the land itself had a deep influence (and still has a deep influence ) on the bible and the spiritual culture of the people , and the author attempts to demonstrate how the bible is still relevant today

The book is an attempt to provide a cultural and historical context for the Bible

. It is peppered with the author 's thoughtful insights on the relationship of the land and its people , and relates the path of (re )discovery of faith as a result of the journey , while also providing a good starting point for anyone desiring to travel through the Middle East

The book , of course , is not an objective , scholarly work , and should not be taken as such . Although scholarly views of the events outlined in the five books and of the land and culture relevant to these events are presented , it is by no means a scientific work , as obvious from the religious theme of the book . Feiler takes the reader on a two-year exploration of the first five books of the Bible , by actually trekking through the land in which the events in the five books occur . The land itself is the focus of the book . He provides his insights on the effects of the land of the people , ancient and modern , and relates the views of the Jews on the relationship between god and the people . He describes the wilderness as instrumental in uniting the ancient Israelites as a people . He describes his experience in the desert , the journey through which Feiler states is the core of the first five books . It is in the desert where he experienced the raw human emotion involved in being in a stark place , confronting the limitations of one 's upbringing , and trying to forge a new identity in the midst of a difficult , transforming journey

Feiler did not have a strong motivating purpose at the start of his journey , but he relates the significant change in attitude that the journey brought to himself . His initial intention was merely to be a tourist of sorts , using the Bible as a travel guide to experience and appreciate the land in which the events in the first five books of the Bible occur , but when he starts his journey , he finds out that there is a palpable connection ' between the land and the people , and he stops seeing the Bible as merely a travel guide . Through his journey he develops insights into himself concerning his faith , particularly on his identity as a Jew . Feiler rediscovers ' his faith as a result of this journey , and provides some unique perspectives on the five books of Moses

Of course , as it focuses on the land , the book is also a travel memoir a travel guide of...