Holman Bible Handbook

I absolutely love this book, and it's exciting to browse through it if you are just exploring the Bible in general. However, it's a terrible shame that the publisher did not include an index. If you are looking for something in particular, it can be difficult to find it, even if you remember seeing it previously in this book. A table of contents, no matter how detailed, can never substitute for an index in back. I truly hope they will add an index to the next edition. Still, I enjoy the book so much that I can't resist giving it five stars anyway.

Just gave this to my husband for Christmas. He informed me afterwards that he had been looking at this beforehand, but never said anything about wanting it. It was one of the perfect gifts he received and he LOVES it! It is a great compliment to the HCSB Illustrated Bible.

I was looking for something to read along with the Bible. I have just begun reading the Bible cover to cover. I found it hard to "bring the ancient world to light for contemporary life." This book does exactly that. For example, on page 121 under the chapter on Genesis it says, "To know what God did -- He created all things 'in the beginning'--is important. But to know why God acted in creation and for redemption is to grasp the very essence of divine revelation." Then it goes on to explain what the Bible says about why God created humankind. I didn't want a book to read on top of the Bible. I wanted a book to help me a little along the way. Because of that, breif but thorough and thought provoking is what I needed. This book fits the bill. I disagree with the other review that insinuated it would be so perfect for beginners alone. There is a lot of deep theology contained but is also easy to read. I think a wide audience could find value in the book. In fact, it being more advanced than other Bible handbooks was what attracted me to it over other ones. Coming from the reformed tradition, I was also looking for something from that vantage point. I noticed recommendations from J. I. Packer and D. James Kennedy so I felt comfortable it would be agreeable to me. I haven't found much information that takes any theological stance. If you are Presbyterian or another reformed denomination, I can tell you that the language it uses will be familiar to you and it is doubtful there will be anything with which you disagree.

The handbook is clearly evanglism scholar's standpoint.Easy to read!Solid information but not dry!like a little libaray (introdution, commentary, explanation, bible background...etc.)All everythings here are short but good enough and readable for beginner.The references in here is the best books of evanglism scholar, they provide very good further study if the user want deeper information.Compare other exist handbooks this sure are one of best of them.

This book is a good general help for those interested in learning more about the bible. It is full of colorful illustrations and charts and hits the highlights of the bible without overwhelming the reader. The handbook has been created by a wide scope of scholars and is therefore even handed in its representations and information, though admittantly sometimes a bit dry. It provides background information on the bible, historical information, and commentary on each section of the bible. Overall, a solid overview and a good reference for the beginner or intermediate student of the bible.