Pellegrino, a palentologist who has engaged in archeology is absolutely brilliant in the way he gives explanations for Biblical episodes, sets timelines that corroborate with Egyptian and Chinese documented history, finds locations that he believes are more justified than those popularly ascribed and sends up the competing schools of archeology that never talk to each other.

His explanations are rooted in common sense. In Genesis there is talk of the giants who roamed the earth and married the daughters of man- Homo Neandrathalis fossils from Biblical times have been found in the Sinai. Eve was cursed with trouble in childbirth- knowledge brings a larger brain and that makes childbirth more difficult. The snake's curse of crawling on its belly explains why snakes have hipbones but no legs- early man must have noticed. Inborn aversions to snakes by all primates, aversions which can be unlearned but which are hardwired, probably happened in evolutionary time when ancestors to mankind were quite small and preyed upon by snakes, and were explained by the curse shortly after creation.

He believes, based upon fossil evidence that he was excavating when the first Gulf War broke out, that Sodom and Gomorrah were built over Iraqui oil fields where frequent earthquakes in the region allowed gas to escape and where fires from cooking braziers could have ignited it. Moses saw the fires some 300 years later, and probably only an oil field would burn that long, absent airplanes from Texaco to put them out One hopes that his archaeological site has survived the war in Iraq.

The Bible refers to the Philistines as "Sea people" during the story of Deborah and makes note of their technological superiority. Pellegrino believes that the Minoans, displaced by the Theran volcano were the Philistines. The Theran volcano can explain the plagues in Egypt- he gives ample evidence of red algae blooms after volcanic explosions, epidemics and even toad migrations (the word for frog and toad is the same in Hebrew.) There are Egyptian descriptions that match the Biblican ones- Egyptologists have dated them 35 years later, but that is based on pottery shards. And the Chinese, ever the compulsive record keepers, recorded the dimming of the sun at the same time- a moving phenomenon observed with Mt. St. Helens.

It took me longer to read this book than usual because I was dissolving into paroxysms of laughter every few pages and had to read the text to my husband. Pellegrino's send-up of archeologists and their internecine politics was especially funny, and illuminating to boot. Let's hope that Pellegrino is able to return to Sodom and Gomorrah to finish his archaeological excavations.

I read this book in the fall of 2005, which was a very rough and chaotic time in my life - serendipitously appropriate, I suppose, for a book about one of the most historically controversial, and war-torn regions, in human history.

The author (whom I've met in person) takes the reader on a gripping multi-disciplinary journey into the past, and present, of the Fertile Crescent (Middle East). It is both a physical, as well as a metaphysical, dig though many of the interweaving and overlapping layers of oral and written tradition, archeological reality, and widely-held misconceptions and institutionalized convenient half-truths ... with the ultimate goal being to gain a better appreciation of what really happened.

It was immensely interesting to see, for instance, real-life accounts of archeological digs involving some of the places, people, and events, mentioned in the Old Testament ... as well as to see how various early Judeo-Christian accounts of the day (both oral and written) were eventually culled together and codified/blessed (by the religious powers of the day) into what has since been passed down to us (in various different times and languages) as "The Bible".

Biblical literalists beware ...

[Wizard of Oz] "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain !" [/Wizard of Oz]

... because some of your dogmatic preconceptions and convenient assumptions will be sorely challenged by this book. Something you should look forward to, and to be grateful for, rather than be offended by - because the better we can grasp (as best we are able) the truth, the better we can grasp our place in the greater scheme of things, as well as our understanding of "God". Personally, if getting closer to Truth/God is not at the very heart of most religions, I don't know what is.

Highly recommended.

I read this book in the fall of 2005, which was a very rough and chaotic time in my life - serendipitously appropriate, I suppose, for a book about one of the most historically controversial, and war-torn regions, in human history.

The author (whom I've met in person) takes the reader on a gripping multi-disciplinary journey into the past, and present, of the Fertile Crescent (Middle East). It is both a physical, as well as a metaphysical, dig though many of the interweaving and overlapping layers of oral and written tradition, archeological reality, and widely-held misconceptions and institutionalized convenient half-truths ... with the ultimate goal being to gain a better appreciation of what really happened.

It was immensely interesting to see, for instance, real-life accounts of archeological digs involving some of the places, people, and events, mentioned in the Old Testament ... as well as to see how various early Judeo-Christian accounts of the day (both oral and written) were eventually culled together and codified/blessed (by the religious powers of the day) into what has since been passed down to us (in various different times and languages) as "The Bible".

Biblical literalists beware ...

[Wizard of Oz] "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain !" [/Wizard of Oz]

... because some of your dogmatic preconceptions and convenient assumptions will be sorely challenged by this book. Something you should look forward to, and to be grateful for, rather than be offended by - because the better we can grasp (as best we are able) the truth, the better we can grasp our place in the greater scheme of things, as well as our understanding of "God". Personally, if getting closer to Truth/God is not at the very heart of most religions, I don't know what is.

Highly recommended.

An excellent historical perspective of the scriptures.
Anyone who knows anything about the Bible knows the pitfalls of literal interpretation.
This was taught to me by Christian Brothers when I was in college.
Pellegrino is a multi-disciplined scientist and a very readable writer.
He insults nobody, but the ignorant.
Five Stars!

Brilliant. A bit of a let down at the end, and Pelligrino gets caught up in personal asides, but this is about as good as it gets when it comes to seeing the world whole, time, space and all the rest.

Fascinating tales along the way, beautifully written. It leaves one with a feeling that we are on the edge of a precipice, but at least a better understanding of how we got here.

Amusing to think of this as a text for Creationists. Maybe not so funny, after all.

This book was first written during the height of optimism over the peace finally being achieved between Israel and the Palistinians. Pellegrino, relying on archaeology, a keen sense of human nature, and intuition, predicted that the killing would never stop, and that people in that part of the world would reserve their right to hate each other forever. The final chapter, with Arthur C. Clarke, Stephen Jay Gould, Pellegrino and Hawking, and several theologians, "gathering around the same watering hole, the archaeology of the Bible" and seeking signposts for the future in "the dustbin of history," is the most chilling echo from the past I have ever read. Look no further than the pictures - Pellegrino's painting on page 209 showing the WTC Twin Towers collapsing like a child's sand castle struck by a wave. If one looks, those towers seem to be destroyed repeatedly in all of his books. "Flying to Valhalla" (1992, page 97: "Seen from the air, the only recognizable features... near the air-scoured shambles of the World Trade Center Twin Towers: a shiny gridwork of smashed glass, two meters deep, marking places where streets once ran." Scientists are now preparing to clone an extinct Woolly Mammoth. Pellegrino saw that, too, more than twenty years ago when he invented the theory that became "Jurassic Park." Move over Nostradamus.

If you are interested in finding the truth and exploring your deepest passions about what drives your faith, then read this book with an open mind. Man's interpretations, through oral tradition and the written word, have always been the subject of contention and controversy. Mr. Pellegrino, at least, attempts to study natural phenomenon and faith with respect; a discipline which is not incompatible. Pellegrino searches for a deeper understanding of what actually took place. He has enriched my search for the truth. I have taken steps to further my own research with the study of myth, archeology and natural phenomenon. My faith has increased exponentially, both in man's reasoning and self-preservation, and in my perinial search for The Creator. Open your mind to the possibilities.

I have enjoyed everything I have read by Pellegrino. He is very successful at pulling together ancient mysteries with current scientific discoveries while keeping the book entertaining. I have learned many new things from this book.

Simple stated this is my favorite book of all time. Being raised as a Catholic this book provided me with information I couldn't have found on my own. Helped resolve many issues with my beliefs, on religion and my place in the world. The opinions, stories, theories, and fact have kept me going and left me wanting more. I just started my third read.

Pellegrino reconstructs the primary sources of belief for many of the historical foundations we rely on. His treatments are mind bending. The deeper we dig, the more we know.

This waffley book is a highly conjectured attempt to "de-miracleize" the Old Testament - and the questionable theology employed throughout doesn't help. If the author were to take a similar approach with the gospels, I suspect he would take the view that Christ was never resurrected from the dead. Instead, he may have been unconscious are barely alive when placed into the tomb, then recovered, and/or the writers of the gospels may have made up a large part of the narratives. The problem is that I can't provide good evidence that the resurrection occurred (apart from the gospels) anymore than someone else can provide good evidence that it didn't, and the same is true for the miracles of the Old Testament. You either believe them through faith or you don't. As Paul said, if the miracle of the resurrection was false, then "our faith is in vain". I suspect the same is true of the miracles pertaining to the Israelites, that is, if God could not rescue the nation of Israelites through miracles, then what hope does he have in saving the new nation of "Israelites", the church, through his second coming? Christ used miracles to show he was the Son of God, culminating in his raising of Lazarus and then himself from the dead - thereby proving his power over death. Believe it or not, but don't use this book to help you make your decision.

I have had difficulty accepting some of the Biblical happenings. Pellegrino has given scenerios on how these "miracles" could have happened and helped me accept them. It did not conflict with my religious beliefs. The only book I have read twice. I will read it again from time to time.

To merely say that this book is one of the best books I have ever read would be to seriously understate my opinion of this profound and important work. Pellegrino has a rare and uncanny ability to draw connections and to synthesize the disparate and widely scattered evidence of humanity's past. An admitted agnostic, he is wise enough to realize that no true scientist can be an athiest, but he also pulls no punches in his clear-minded assessment of biblical history. The fact that he is able to keep his sense of humor throughout only adds to the enjoyment of this book. One of the main reasons I believe this to be a profoundly important work is that Pellegrino presents a refreshingly honest, if not always optimistic, view of human nature. He harbors no illusions about our species' violent past, and thus provides us with the perspective and foresight we need if we wish to avoid the specter of extinction.