Webster Patterson's SACRED SITES provides vibrant descriptions of the more authentic and significant biblical locations and combines the history and archaeology of ancient Christian sites with sound scriptural and theological scholarship. Writings on the Holy Land sometimes tend to be overly pious on the one hand or else burdened with dense academic jargon on the other. Patterson deftly avoids these extremes by incorporating solid research into an accurate, reverent, and highly readable presentation. SACRED SITES vividly conveys the atmosphere of actually being in these sacred places--both as they are now and as they were at the time of Christ. The book not only explains the meaning of specific sites but also explores the area as a whole, using scripture, recent theology, and modern archaeology as guides. The book focuses on sites specific to Jesus' life in Galilee, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth as well as the larger Greco-Roman world in which he lived and ministered. In the final chapter, Patterson searches out the sites frequented by the Apostles and the first Jewish Christians after the Ascension. Although this book will delight visitors to the Holy Land, it will also make the reading of scripture come alive, even for armchair pilgrims. Rather than simply referring the reader to biblical chapter and verse, Patterson provides the full scriptural text and matching visuals. These combine to give the reader a vivid appreciation of each place. +
