Synopses & Reviews
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.
Review
“Feiler contends that the Bibles moral vision transcends land, power, and nationality.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
“A marvelous account . . . Erudite yet immensely readable, Feiler chronicles a spiritual journey to the roots of Western civilization.” Booklist
Synopsis
An NPR commentator takes readers to biblical sites in the Middle East to investigate the historical origins of and commonalities between the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religions, in a historical tour that visits the locales of key events and considers the role of religion in peacemaking efforts between cultures. By the author of Abraham. Reprint. 150,000 first printing.
Synopsis
In Where God Was Born, Bruce Feiler once again takes up his unique physical and spiritual exploration of the Holy Land. Feiler travels throughout the most dangerous and war-torn areas of the Middle East, taking readers to biblical sites not seen by Westerners for decades and uncovering little-known details about the common roots of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
In his most daring adventure yet, Feiler brings readers along as he retraces the Bible through the bloodiest places on the planet, from the Garden of Eden in war-torn Iraq to the rivers of Babylon just south of Baghdad, from David's conquest of Jerusalem to Queen Esther's face-off with the King of Persia. At each site, Feiler discusses the Bible with local characters, from archaeologists to army chaplains, and draws lessons for fostering reconciliation in our time.
Where God Was Born is a powerful, inspiring story. It offers a rare, universal vision of God that can unite members of different faiths into a shared allegiance of hope.
Bruce Feiler is the bestselling author of Where God Was Born, Walking the Bible and Abraham, as well as four previous books of nonfiction. Feiler is a frequent contributor to NPR's "All Things Considered," a contributing editor for Gourmet, and has written for The New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, the Washington Post, USA Today, Esquire, and Conde Nast Traveler.
"Feiler is] a real-life Indiana Jones." - Atlanta Journal-Constitution
--Publishers Weekly
(starred review)Synopsis
“Feiler brings to life the birth moment of Western faith and seeks to use the past to understand the present climate of religious extremism.”--Washington Post
At a time when America debates its values and the world braces for religious war, Bruce Feiler travels 10,000 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 Judiasm, Christianity, and Islam, affirms the importance of the Bible in today's world, and offers a rare, universal vision of God that can inspire different faiths into a united allegiance of hope.
Synopsis
Continuing the gripping journey he began with Walking the Bible, Bruce Feiler travels 10,000 miles through the heart of the Middle East—from the Garden of Eden to the rivers of Babylon—uncovering the little-known origins of Western religion. Combining the excitement of an adventure story and the insight of spiritual exploration, Where God Was Born offers a rare, universal vision of God that can inspire different faiths into a shared dialogue of hope.
Synopsis
In WHERE GOD WAS BORN, Bruce Feiler continues his physical and spiritual journey to retrace the great stories of the Bible and to understand what they can mean in our lives today. The book is very much a personal quest through the unseen sites of the Bible, beginning in Genesis, continuing through the Prophets, and ending just before the birth of Jesus. Along the way, we encounter some of the greatest stories ever toldandndash;andndash;David battling Goliath, Nebuchadnezzer sacking Jerusalem, Jonah finding God in the whaleandndash;andndash;and many of the greatest characters of the Bibleandndash;andndash;Joshua, Solomon, Jeremiah, Esther.
For most of the last twentyandndash;five years, biblical sites in much of the Middle East, notably Iraq and Iran, have been almost entirely closed to the West. WHERE GOD WAS BORN unveils these holy sites to most readers for the first time, including the Garden of Eden, the birthplace of Abraham, the rivers of Babylon, and the stronghold of Nineveh. In addition, Feiler retraces Joshua's conquest of the Promised Land, David's showdown with Goliath, Solomon's building of the Temple, Queen Esther's faceandndash;off with the King of Persia, and Judah Maccabe's triumphant Hanukkah miracle.
About the Author
Bruce Feiler is the New York Timesbestselling author of seven books, including Walking the Bible, Abraham, and Where God Was Born, as well as the host of Walking the Bibleon PBS. An award-winning author, journalist, and speaker, Feiler is a graduate of Yale and Cambridge Universities. He is a frequent contributor to NPR, CNN, and Fox News. He lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and twin daughters.