Digging Up the Past: Genesis, Chapters 3-11

by Kay Arthur, Janna Arndt

Kids join inductive detectives Max and Molly and archaeologist Uncle Jake on a treasure hunt for truth. They'll uncover how God deals with sin, why God flooded the earth, where the different nations and languages came from, and what God's plan is for saving people.

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2001

About the author

Kay Lee Arthur was an American Christian author, Bible teacher, and co-founder of Precept Ministries International. Renowned for her accessible and inductive approach to Bible study, she helped millions engage deeply with Scripture. Arthur began her ministry informally, teaching teenagers in her living room alongside her second husband, Jack Arthur. Their work soon grew into a global outreach, headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, under the name Precept Ministries International. She hosted the daily Bible teaching program Precepts for Life and became a respected voice in evangelical circles. Arthur authored numerous books and was a four-time winner of the ECPA Christian Book Award for titles such as A Marriage Without Regrets and The New Inductive Study Bible. Her ministry was rooted in a personal reawakening to faith in the early 1960s, following a divorce and a return to religious life. She and Jack also served briefly as missionaries in Mexico before founding their ministry. Arthur remained active in public faith-based initiatives into her later years and was known for her firm stances on social issues. She passed away on 2025 leaving behind a lasting legacy in Christian education and publishing.

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Digging Up The Past" is a Bible study of Genesis chapter 3 through 11 for tweens (ages 9 to 12). It has an archeology theme with an story involving Max and Molly running throughout. The child reads a chapter in Genesis (which is provided in the back of the book with plenty of space for marking important things) and then goes through a series of questions and puzzles that lead them to think over the important things that happen in that chapter. The authors also tied in related New Testament verses.

I thought the questions brought out good points, and I liked that the focus remained on discovering what the Bible says. The word scrambles, word finds, mazes, crosswords (with the word found by looking up a verse), and other puzzles were fun (even for me, an adult!). I think the skill level needed to solve the puzzles was just right for the age range, but I no longer have anyone that age to test this book on. The answers to the puzzles were in the back of the book.

The authors' treat Genesis 3-11 as an accurate record of historical events that really happened. Overall, I'd recommend this children's Bible study. I think it's one that children will actually enjoy doing, and I appreciate that they didn't lessen how much was learned in the process of making it fun.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids are bummed we finished up this study and I don't have any more of the other books to continue on with. I'll definitely be buying a 1/2 dozen more at convention this year, can't wait!