Herbert G. May (1904–1977)

It's interesting to read the first edition now, more than fifty-five years later. At the time, texts discovered at Qumran and Ugarit were still new, and their import for our understanding of the Bible had not yet been fully worked through. It was also before the Six-Day War changed the contemporary political reality of this part of the world. As a result, this edition stands as a valuable witness to the time when it was issued. The maps are clear, although some detail is lost in the gutter whenever a map is spread beyond one full page. in addition to explanatory text printed adjacent to each map, there is an introduction by May giving historical background on Israel and surrounding nations. Following the section of maps, an essay by R. W. Hamilton gives an overview of archaeology and the Bible. All text matter is somewhat dry, but appropriate for the kind of book this is, and reflects a standpoint that represents the mainstream of scholarship at the time it was written.… (mais)