Oxford Bible Atlas

by Herbert Gordon May

Old and New Testament maps

Genres: Reference, Religion, Nonfiction, Biblical, Christian, Atlases, Research

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

Reviews

[Henry Sturcke]

It's interesting to read the first edition now, more than fifty-five years later. At the time, texts discovered at Qumran and Ugarit were still new, and their import for our understanding of the Bible had not yet been fully worked through. It was also before the Six-Day War changed the contemporary political reality of this part of the world. As a result, this edition stands as a valuable witness to the time when it was issued. The maps are clear, although some detail is lost in the gutter whenever a map is spread beyond one full page. in addition to explanatory text printed adjacent to each map, there is an introduction by May giving historical background on Israel and surrounding nations. Following the section of maps, an essay by R. W. Hamilton gives an overview of archaeology and the Bible. All text matter is somewhat dry, but appropriate for the kind of book this is, and reflects a standpoint that represents the mainstream of scholarship at the time it was written.

[Kimberly]

I enjoy atlases as a supplement to the history books I read. While the maps in this atlas are very good, there is more to this atlas than maps. The atlas gives a concise history of the Mediterranean area during Bible times.

This is definitely a step up from the maps in the back of most Bibles these days.

[Paul]

I’ve used the maps in this book since 1976 but have never paid much attention to the text which provides excellent historical summaries accompanying the various maps. Of course the black and white archeological photos can’t compare to modern glossy detail, but the maps are intriguing and full of information and the text provides good review of the history. I have great respect for the patient effort of archeologists, especially when I have trouble discovering how the sewers run in my own modern home.

[Tyler]

Very helpful tool. It's easy to look up specific locations in the index, and see which maps they are on, and where exactly to look on the map. When reading lists of places in the Bible, it's helpful to be able to see where these places are, how far someone traveled and in which direction, etc.

[Alix Stricklin]

OK, this has a lot of really great historical information and really nice photos and illustrations. But, very little geography - - and this is supposed to be an atlas.

[Cheryl]

This was a good reference book with pictures and useful information.

[Erik Graff]

There's not all that much text to this 144 page reference atlas, but the pictures are nice and the maps useful.