Learning from the land

Bruce Feiler is a passionate pilgrim and guide to Israel and other Middle Eastern lands of the Bible. Where God Was Born: A Journey by Land to the Roots of Religion (William Morrow, 2005) is the third book in his search to understand the Old Testament story better by visiting where it unfolded. (The two others are Walking the Bible: A Photographic Journey, 2005, and Abraham: A Journey to the Heart of Three Faiths, 2002.) Here his travels take him from Israel to Iraq and Iran, visiting such places as Babylon, the Garden of Eden, Ur, Nineveh and Persepolis.

A journalist, Feiler brings along or visits archaeologists, historians and experts in antiquities, military strategy and other specialties. The result is a great deal of knowledge—presented simply. His books are notable for exciting travel stories and for his insights into what they mean. A major aspect of his writing is his struggle to define and expand his Jewish faith in the context of historical and biblical research.