Reading Where God Was Born

This week I found a wonderful companion book for my Bible in 90 Days reading. We are now through all of the Old Testament's historical narrative, having completed Nehemiah. At the same time I was reading Kings, Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, I read Where God Was Born by Bruce Feiler.

Feiler, the author of Walking the Bible and Abraham, continues his personal quest to visit the important sites of the second half of the Hebrew Bible. I read both of these books and really enjoyed them as well.

In Where God Was Born, Feiler recounts some harrowing experiences as he, an American Jew, visits not only Jerusalem but areas of Iran and Iraq. The book is more than a travelogue. It is part of Feiler's search for the roots of his faith. At each location he takes out his Bible and re-reads the section that is pertinent to the place he is visiting.

In Israel he explores a scary underground tunnel system that may explain how King David conquered Jerusalem and visits the spot where Goliath was slain. In Iraq, he locates the sites traditionally thought to be the Garden of Eden and the birthplace of Abraham. Risking life and limb in this tumultuous area, Feiler also makes a trip to the rivers of Babylon and reflects on the exile of the Jews. He brings his wife along to Iran, another perilous journey, where they find the burial place of Queen Esther.

It really helped my reading of these scriptures to travel vicariously with Feiler as he identifies these ancient sites by their modern, more familiar names. For example, I didn't realize Ninevah was near Mosul--which is an area much in today's news.

Feiler's stated purpose in writing this book is to discover the shared origins of the three Abrahamic faiths. In doing so, he lifts up the importance of the Hebrew Bible for today's world. As a Jew, he does not make much reference to the New Testament.

One criticism I have of the book is that the author began his journey determined to discover how the roots of these 3 religions reveal a path to peaceful coexistence. Although that is a noble goal, I was not persuaded that he succeeded. His conclusion that the "only force strong enough to take on religious extremism is religious moderation" is somewhat forced. Feiler predicates that statement on the idea that Biblical literacy will lead to religious moderation--may it be so, but unfortunately I think some of the most Biblically literate are also some of the most extreme in their views. The Hebrew Bible is full of extremes and very hard teachings that encourage those interpretations. So is the Koran. So, too, can be the New Testament.

Otherwise, I heartily recommend this book as an adjunct to Bible in 90 Days or any study of the second half of the Old Testament. It takes the armchair traveler on a journey that is impossible for most of us today, given the realities of the political and religious situation in the Middle East. Bruce Feiler is an informative and inspirational guide.