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National Geographic Who's Who in the Bible: Unforgettable People and Timeless Stories from Genesis to Revelation
Written by best-selling author Jean-Pierre Isbouts, Who's Who in the Bible is the ultimate reference guide to the men and women in the Bible, featuring more than 2,000 entries spanning Genesis to Revelation.
From the author of In the Footsteps of Jesus and The Biblical World comes a vibrant family reference that brings to life the fascinating characters of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. From the fall of Adam and Eve to Judas' betrayal of Jesus, the key events of the Bible are expressed through the lives of hundreds of people. Told through exquisite art and artifacts, intriguing sidebars, and unique family tree features, this illuminating volume tells the stories of Biblical characters and highlights their greater meaning for mankind. Illustrated with lavish color photography and exquisite historical artwork, this reference runs chronologically, with each person listed by order of appearance.
From the author of In the Footsteps of Jesus and The Biblical World comes a vibrant family reference that brings to life the fascinating characters of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. From the fall of Adam and Eve to Judas' betrayal of Jesus, the key events of the Bible are expressed through the lives of hundreds of people. Told through exquisite art and artifacts, intriguing sidebars, and unique family tree features, this illuminating volume tells the stories of Biblical characters and highlights their greater meaning for mankind. Illustrated with lavish color photography and exquisite historical artwork, this reference runs chronologically, with each person listed by order of appearance.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
1 person is currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Jean-Pierre Isbouts
65 books58 followersJean-Pierre Isbouts was born in 1954. He is a humanities scholar and graduate professor in the doctoral programs at Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California. He has published widely on the origins of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, including the bestseller Biblical World: An Illustrated Atlas; Young Jesus: Restoring the "Lost Years" of a Social Activist and Religious Dissident; From Moses to Muhammed; The Shared Origins of Judaism, Christianity and Islam; and The Mysteries of Jesus. An award-winning filmmaker, Isbouts has also produced Charlton Heston's Voyage Through the Bible, The Quest for Peace, and Young Jesus.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 26, 2021
The Bible is a sacred book venerated by Jews, Christians, and even, to an extent, by Muslims. In it, we find stories of faith. There is history and there is myth (or saga). There are poetry and prayers. In a book that covers more than a thousand years of history, you would expect to encounter lots of people. So, who are these people? Oh, we know the names of Abraham, Sarah, Moses, David, Jesus, and Paul, but what about Jochebed, Jehoiakim, Agrippa, and numerous others whose names don't ring a bell. Might it be worth having a book that told the basic story and introduced the reader to the many characters who populate the story? What better book than a "Who's Who?"
Published in 2013 by the National Geographic Society, "Who's Who in the Bible" was written by Jean-Pierre Isbouts, a humanities scholar at the Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California. Though published in 2013, the National Geographic Society has partnered with TLC Book Tours to highlight the book for readers who might not know of the book's existence. I was among those asked to participate in this effort.
The book is a worthy tabletop book filled with good information about the Biblical story. The book includes four hundred photographs of artwork that illustrates the stories. These are all full-color printed on glossy paper so everything stands out. There are numerous sidebars and family trees (do you want to know who is who in the family of the Maccabees?) that provide background information to the story. There are montages of art and artifacts that are linked to each chapter of the book, and again these are in full-color. Then there are the numerous maps that can be examined. Finally, there is the timeline that runs throughout the book that sits at the bottom of each page in the chronological narrative section. Each chapter includes a dictionary that identifies every figure discussed earlier in the narrative. This is a helpful contribution that will prove useful for Bible readers who want to know who is who in the story. The point though is to help the reader get a sense of the progression of the story from creation to the end of things.
Isbouts divides the book into five chapters. The first three chapters take the reader through what Christians know as the Old Testament. We could use the title Hebrew Bible, but he includes elements from the Septuagint, which was written in Greek. Then, comes the exploration of the New Testament. Chapter One focuses on the Pentateuch (Genesis to Deuteronomy). Chapter two tells the story from Joshua to Kings. Chapter three Takes us from Chronicles to Maccabees. Essentially this covers the period from the Babylonian Exile to the Maccabean restoration. Chapter 4 introduces us to the four Gospels and the story of Jesus. Finally, in chapter 5, Isbouts covers the rest of the story, from the Book of Acts through Revelation.
This is a book written for the general reader. It is based on solid scholarship, but the author has wriiten this book, as one would expect from a book published by the National Geographic Society, from a nonsectarian vantage point. The readers are expected to be Jewish, Christian, and non-religious. Overall, it reflects solid, mainstream scholarship. If you are conservative in your theology you might not agree with the author at points many points. In the very beginning, he notes the traditional authorship of Genesis and the rest of the Pentateuch and then introduces the reader to the Documentary Hypothesis (JEDP). But the point here is getting into the story itself, letting the biblical writers be the storytellers. The sidebars, however, often deal with the stickier issues. It covers a lot of territory but it's not intended to be the final authority on any of this. But, if you don't know the story, I can't think of a better place to start than this book.
After the five chapters that focus on the biblical story, Isbouts provides a brief epilogue that introduces the reader to the ongoing story of early Christianity and the origins of rabbinic Judaism after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. This epilogue takes us briefly through the history of the Holy Land, including notes on Byzantine-era Jerusalem and Crusader Jerusalem. Again, all of this is richly illustrated.
For all those who find it difficult to put everything together, who struggle with the overarching narrative that makes up the Bible in all of its historical and religious variety and diversity, I can't think of a better introduction. If nothing else, the photographs, especially of the artwork, will draw you in. Now, I should note that most of the art is Eurocentric. These are for the most part standard works, but perhaps they should be supplemented by contributions from other parts of the world.
Published in 2013 by the National Geographic Society, "Who's Who in the Bible" was written by Jean-Pierre Isbouts, a humanities scholar at the Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California. Though published in 2013, the National Geographic Society has partnered with TLC Book Tours to highlight the book for readers who might not know of the book's existence. I was among those asked to participate in this effort.
The book is a worthy tabletop book filled with good information about the Biblical story. The book includes four hundred photographs of artwork that illustrates the stories. These are all full-color printed on glossy paper so everything stands out. There are numerous sidebars and family trees (do you want to know who is who in the family of the Maccabees?) that provide background information to the story. There are montages of art and artifacts that are linked to each chapter of the book, and again these are in full-color. Then there are the numerous maps that can be examined. Finally, there is the timeline that runs throughout the book that sits at the bottom of each page in the chronological narrative section. Each chapter includes a dictionary that identifies every figure discussed earlier in the narrative. This is a helpful contribution that will prove useful for Bible readers who want to know who is who in the story. The point though is to help the reader get a sense of the progression of the story from creation to the end of things.
Isbouts divides the book into five chapters. The first three chapters take the reader through what Christians know as the Old Testament. We could use the title Hebrew Bible, but he includes elements from the Septuagint, which was written in Greek. Then, comes the exploration of the New Testament. Chapter One focuses on the Pentateuch (Genesis to Deuteronomy). Chapter two tells the story from Joshua to Kings. Chapter three Takes us from Chronicles to Maccabees. Essentially this covers the period from the Babylonian Exile to the Maccabean restoration. Chapter 4 introduces us to the four Gospels and the story of Jesus. Finally, in chapter 5, Isbouts covers the rest of the story, from the Book of Acts through Revelation.
This is a book written for the general reader. It is based on solid scholarship, but the author has wriiten this book, as one would expect from a book published by the National Geographic Society, from a nonsectarian vantage point. The readers are expected to be Jewish, Christian, and non-religious. Overall, it reflects solid, mainstream scholarship. If you are conservative in your theology you might not agree with the author at points many points. In the very beginning, he notes the traditional authorship of Genesis and the rest of the Pentateuch and then introduces the reader to the Documentary Hypothesis (JEDP). But the point here is getting into the story itself, letting the biblical writers be the storytellers. The sidebars, however, often deal with the stickier issues. It covers a lot of territory but it's not intended to be the final authority on any of this. But, if you don't know the story, I can't think of a better place to start than this book.
After the five chapters that focus on the biblical story, Isbouts provides a brief epilogue that introduces the reader to the ongoing story of early Christianity and the origins of rabbinic Judaism after the fall of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. This epilogue takes us briefly through the history of the Holy Land, including notes on Byzantine-era Jerusalem and Crusader Jerusalem. Again, all of this is richly illustrated.
For all those who find it difficult to put everything together, who struggle with the overarching narrative that makes up the Bible in all of its historical and religious variety and diversity, I can't think of a better introduction. If nothing else, the photographs, especially of the artwork, will draw you in. Now, I should note that most of the art is Eurocentric. These are for the most part standard works, but perhaps they should be supplemented by contributions from other parts of the world.
December 23, 2021
Read as supplementary material as I read the NLT Life Recovery Bible and Don't Know Much About® the Bible: Everything You Need to Know About the Good Book but Never Learned by Kenneth Davis.
This was great to read after each section of the Bible for a more thorough understanding of what I just read. I enjoyed the art and historical context throughout each section.
This was great to read after each section of the Bible for a more thorough understanding of what I just read. I enjoyed the art and historical context throughout each section.
December 3, 2013
Source: Free copy from Media Masters Publicity and National Geographic for the purpose of review.
Summary:
The name National Geographic is respected in its field for maps, photographs, and content. I was intrigued and over-joyed to read and review a book for Media Masters Publicity and National Geographic.
From the creation story in Genesis, to the book of Revelation and the early Christian Church; Who's Who In The Bible, explores Bible history pertaining to archaeology findings and history from other sources, in a "chronological narrative."
Jean-Pierre Isbouts wrote the book with an aim of: "a non-denominational perspective. It does not conform to any particular theological orientation, but rather treats the texts as historical documents, so as to appeal to the broadest possible readership." Page 12.
In addition: "Who's Who uses the nondenominational temporal indicators of B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) instead of the traditional B.C. (Before Christ), and likewise C.E. (Common Era) rather than A.D. (Anno Domini, or Year of the Lord) to identify dates in history." Page 12.
The Bible translation used is the "New Revised Standard Version, 1989."
Thoughts:
I'm glad the author stated in his introduction the book is a "non-denominational perspective" and does "not conform to any particular theological orientation". This was a forewarning the book would be secular in nature. It's as if the Bible is looked at through a lens of history and science, but not God's story and plan for mankind.
The strengths are its: organization, historical information from other sources (Gnostic and Jewish sources), maps, study content, visually stimulating lay-out, fascinating and eye-appealing photographs and illustrations, approachable content, recent archaeology findings, political correctness. It is a book that appeals to everyone regardless of belief in God, or the Bible, or world religion.
This is both a positive and negative thing.
It's positive in that it may lead a non-believer to read and study the Bible and more importantly believe in Jesus Christ.
It's negative in that the book minimizes the Bible as God's breathed Word. See 2 Timothy 3:16.
Over-all I believe this is a marvelous book to view and would make a lovely addition to a library; however, it is not the end-all on Bible characters and history, the Bible is.
I'm concerned some readers may read this book and not be aware of other scholar's who believe differently. For example Who's Who In The Bible, teaches the book of Matthew was written in "the early 70s to the mid-80s of the first century. Given this date, it is unlikely (though not impossible) that the author is the disciple of 'Matthew' who worked as a tax collector in Capernaum until Jesus called him to his ministry (Matthew 9:9)."
The Crossway ESV Study Bible, page 1816, states the book of Matthew by "tradition" was written in "late 50s or early 60s." "Matthean authorship is denied by some modern scholars especially on the view that the author of Matthew borrowed much of his material from Mark's Gospel. Given that Matthew was an apostle while Mark was not, it is assumed that Matthew would not have needed (or chosen) to depend on Mark's material. But even if Matthew did borrow from Mark's Gospel, it would only have added to Matthew's apostolic credibility since the evidence suggests that Mark himself relied extensively on the testimony of the apostle Peter."
There are several other places where the view is liberal, this will cause a problem for conservative readers.
If you are an astute reader and or Bible student, you will be able to take the information in this book with a "grain of salt." If you are not familiar with the Bible then I'm afraid you would take this book at "face value."
There is minimal information on Jesus' death on the cross or His resurrection, this was the greatest disappointment for me. The only words uttered by Jesus given in the book are when he speaks to "his mother, 'Woman, here is your son.' Then he said to the disciple, 'Here is your mother." John 19:26-27. The author goes on to interpret, "which beloved disciple is Jesus referring to?" Reference information from the "Gospel of Thomas" is given.
Jesus' last words are stated from Matthew 27:46 (I quote this verse from the ESV), "Eli, Eli lema sabachthani? that is, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" The author defines this statement from Jesus as "-a well-known Jewish cry of anguish from the Book of Psalms. He then 'gave a loud cry' and breathed his last."
For me the Bible is God's Word, the primary way God speak to me. His Word is "alive," it is not mere indifferent perfunctory words on thin paper.
The most important Bible character is Jesus Christ---"the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2, ESV.
I would love to give this book 5 stars, if the photographs and organization were my only factors in the review it would be a 5. The liberal content without giving other scholar information, I rate it a 3. Over-all I rate this book a 4.
Summary:
The name National Geographic is respected in its field for maps, photographs, and content. I was intrigued and over-joyed to read and review a book for Media Masters Publicity and National Geographic.
From the creation story in Genesis, to the book of Revelation and the early Christian Church; Who's Who In The Bible, explores Bible history pertaining to archaeology findings and history from other sources, in a "chronological narrative."
Jean-Pierre Isbouts wrote the book with an aim of: "a non-denominational perspective. It does not conform to any particular theological orientation, but rather treats the texts as historical documents, so as to appeal to the broadest possible readership." Page 12.
In addition: "Who's Who uses the nondenominational temporal indicators of B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) instead of the traditional B.C. (Before Christ), and likewise C.E. (Common Era) rather than A.D. (Anno Domini, or Year of the Lord) to identify dates in history." Page 12.
The Bible translation used is the "New Revised Standard Version, 1989."
Thoughts:
I'm glad the author stated in his introduction the book is a "non-denominational perspective" and does "not conform to any particular theological orientation". This was a forewarning the book would be secular in nature. It's as if the Bible is looked at through a lens of history and science, but not God's story and plan for mankind.
The strengths are its: organization, historical information from other sources (Gnostic and Jewish sources), maps, study content, visually stimulating lay-out, fascinating and eye-appealing photographs and illustrations, approachable content, recent archaeology findings, political correctness. It is a book that appeals to everyone regardless of belief in God, or the Bible, or world religion.
This is both a positive and negative thing.
It's positive in that it may lead a non-believer to read and study the Bible and more importantly believe in Jesus Christ.
It's negative in that the book minimizes the Bible as God's breathed Word. See 2 Timothy 3:16.
Over-all I believe this is a marvelous book to view and would make a lovely addition to a library; however, it is not the end-all on Bible characters and history, the Bible is.
I'm concerned some readers may read this book and not be aware of other scholar's who believe differently. For example Who's Who In The Bible, teaches the book of Matthew was written in "the early 70s to the mid-80s of the first century. Given this date, it is unlikely (though not impossible) that the author is the disciple of 'Matthew' who worked as a tax collector in Capernaum until Jesus called him to his ministry (Matthew 9:9)."
The Crossway ESV Study Bible, page 1816, states the book of Matthew by "tradition" was written in "late 50s or early 60s." "Matthean authorship is denied by some modern scholars especially on the view that the author of Matthew borrowed much of his material from Mark's Gospel. Given that Matthew was an apostle while Mark was not, it is assumed that Matthew would not have needed (or chosen) to depend on Mark's material. But even if Matthew did borrow from Mark's Gospel, it would only have added to Matthew's apostolic credibility since the evidence suggests that Mark himself relied extensively on the testimony of the apostle Peter."
There are several other places where the view is liberal, this will cause a problem for conservative readers.
If you are an astute reader and or Bible student, you will be able to take the information in this book with a "grain of salt." If you are not familiar with the Bible then I'm afraid you would take this book at "face value."
There is minimal information on Jesus' death on the cross or His resurrection, this was the greatest disappointment for me. The only words uttered by Jesus given in the book are when he speaks to "his mother, 'Woman, here is your son.' Then he said to the disciple, 'Here is your mother." John 19:26-27. The author goes on to interpret, "which beloved disciple is Jesus referring to?" Reference information from the "Gospel of Thomas" is given.
Jesus' last words are stated from Matthew 27:46 (I quote this verse from the ESV), "Eli, Eli lema sabachthani? that is, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" The author defines this statement from Jesus as "-a well-known Jewish cry of anguish from the Book of Psalms. He then 'gave a loud cry' and breathed his last."
For me the Bible is God's Word, the primary way God speak to me. His Word is "alive," it is not mere indifferent perfunctory words on thin paper.
The most important Bible character is Jesus Christ---"the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2, ESV.
I would love to give this book 5 stars, if the photographs and organization were my only factors in the review it would be a 5. The liberal content without giving other scholar information, I rate it a 3. Over-all I rate this book a 4.
January 6, 2019
I'm not able to read.... How to read
October 10, 2019
Lots of interesting information, even if I did end up skimming through the "who's who" sections.
August 29, 2025
An excellent and beautiful book. It is well written and an excellent reference book.
December 17, 2013
Spirited, divisive, ardent, doubting, faithful, flawed, devout--who’s who in the Bible
The beautiful artwork on every page of this substantial, coffee table size book makes it a joy to pore over, and I’ve spent a lot of time just doing that, but even without all the breathtaking illustrations the text alone would make this book a pleasure to read. For anyone interested in the Bible it’s a wonderful, well organised reference with hundreds of entries that cover its key events and precepts by telling the stories of people from the Old Testament to the New Testament, treating each story with respect and noting historical evidence when there is some.
Who’s Who in the Bible has been divided into three Old Testament and two New Testament chapters that create the narrative flow and magnetic pull of a grand epic novel and can be read straight through, which is what I couldn’t resist doing though that’s not how I expected to use the book, but it would also be a simple thing to look up people individually by their entries if someone in particular interests you. Spirited, divisive, ardent, doubting, faithful, flawed, and devout, the people in these stories are captivating and fully human. Besides the artwork and the people entries there are descriptive chapter introductions, detailed maps, helpful family trees, and fascinating photographs of archaeological objects from biblical times. Can you tell I love the book? I do.
The beautiful artwork on every page of this substantial, coffee table size book makes it a joy to pore over, and I’ve spent a lot of time just doing that, but even without all the breathtaking illustrations the text alone would make this book a pleasure to read. For anyone interested in the Bible it’s a wonderful, well organised reference with hundreds of entries that cover its key events and precepts by telling the stories of people from the Old Testament to the New Testament, treating each story with respect and noting historical evidence when there is some.
Who’s Who in the Bible has been divided into three Old Testament and two New Testament chapters that create the narrative flow and magnetic pull of a grand epic novel and can be read straight through, which is what I couldn’t resist doing though that’s not how I expected to use the book, but it would also be a simple thing to look up people individually by their entries if someone in particular interests you. Spirited, divisive, ardent, doubting, faithful, flawed, and devout, the people in these stories are captivating and fully human. Besides the artwork and the people entries there are descriptive chapter introductions, detailed maps, helpful family trees, and fascinating photographs of archaeological objects from biblical times. Can you tell I love the book? I do.
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April 27, 2015Isbous, J. Who's who in the Bible : unforgettable people and timeless stories from Genesis to Revelation. (2013). Washington, D.C. : National Geographic.
Citation by: Sarah Clement
Type of Reference: Biographical Reference
Call Number: BS550.3
Content/Scope: A reference guide to people in the Bible with more than 2,000 entries. Also included are reproductions of famous artwork and genealogical trees.
Accuracy/Authority/Bias: Published by National Geographic, a reputable and well-known source. A board of noted biblical scholars and archaeologists were consulted in the making of this book.
Arrangement/Presentation: Organized in five chapters, beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation. Includes bibliographical references and index.
Relation to other works: National Geographic has a wide variety of works. I chose this one because its pictures and background information would appeal to middle school students, and encourage them to learn more about the people in the Bible.
Accessibility/Diversity: Includes art, maps, and photos that would appeal to visual learners.
Cost: $40.00
Professional Review: Parascandola, J. (2014, January 1). Who's who in the Bible : unforgettable people and timeless stories from Genesis to Revelation. Retrieved from http://bookverdict.com/details.xqy?ur...
Citation by: Sarah Clement
Type of Reference: Biographical Reference
Call Number: BS550.3
Content/Scope: A reference guide to people in the Bible with more than 2,000 entries. Also included are reproductions of famous artwork and genealogical trees.
Accuracy/Authority/Bias: Published by National Geographic, a reputable and well-known source. A board of noted biblical scholars and archaeologists were consulted in the making of this book.
Arrangement/Presentation: Organized in five chapters, beginning with Genesis and ending with Revelation. Includes bibliographical references and index.
Relation to other works: National Geographic has a wide variety of works. I chose this one because its pictures and background information would appeal to middle school students, and encourage them to learn more about the people in the Bible.
Accessibility/Diversity: Includes art, maps, and photos that would appeal to visual learners.
Cost: $40.00
Professional Review: Parascandola, J. (2014, January 1). Who's who in the Bible : unforgettable people and timeless stories from Genesis to Revelation. Retrieved from http://bookverdict.com/details.xqy?ur...
January 6, 2016
This book, which is both a Bible character encyclopedia and a collection of historical snippets, was worthwhile although fairly dense. It took more of a secular slant than I would have thought or preferred, as the narrative sometimes openly questioned a validity of a section of the Bible.
I most appreciated all the maps--large, helpful, plentiful--the exact kind of thing that is a great reference during Bible reading. I also appreciated how it often told the full historical perspective, such as enlightening what else an Assyrian King mentioned in one chapter of the Bible was up to in his reign.
I most appreciated all the maps--large, helpful, plentiful--the exact kind of thing that is a great reference during Bible reading. I also appreciated how it often told the full historical perspective, such as enlightening what else an Assyrian King mentioned in one chapter of the Bible was up to in his reign.
December 1, 2013
Who's Who in the Bible is a delightful reference book. This textbook is filled with beautiful paintings, drawings and photographs from Genesis to Revelation.
It contains an alphabetical listing of characters and important timelines. This book is an incredible resource.
I enjoyed being transported to biblical times while reading and viewing the photographs in this masterpiece.
To read the rest of this review, please visit http://www.ordinaryservant.com/?p=2530.
It contains an alphabetical listing of characters and important timelines. This book is an incredible resource.
I enjoyed being transported to biblical times while reading and viewing the photographs in this masterpiece.
To read the rest of this review, please visit http://www.ordinaryservant.com/?p=2530.
February 26, 2014
My thoughts and opinions can be found here:
http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com...
http://forfunreadinglist.blogspot.com...
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April 28, 2014I just skimmed through. Quite an interesting book.
December 14, 2015
I sort of bogged down on this and I've given up and shelved it (in a bookcase). Maybe later.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews