Bible Overview from Rose Publishing

Bible Overview from Rose Publishing gives an overview of each section and book of the Bible, providing information similar to a study Bible only in more detail. The version I’m reviewing is the PDF. This file has the advantage of being printable. Rose Publishing allows you to reproduce up to 300 copies for classroom use. The Scripture references given in the book are from the NIV.

Bible Overview provides

Background
Purpose
Outline
Themes
Key people
Key verses

The book starts with information about how we got the Bible. It follows with reasons to study the Bible, how to study the Bible, and gives basic principles of Bible study. This is good information and it’s good that they included it. Many overviews, including study Bibles, assume that everyone knows how to study the Bible. The more information like this that readers are exposed to the better quality their Bible study will be.

After the introduction to Bible study, the book is divided into large sections, and then each section is narrowed down into more detailed sections. For example, the two major sections are the Old Testament and the New Testament. Each Testament is then divided into smaller sections (Pentateuch, History, Poetry, Prophets, etc.), and then the books within each section are discussed in detail with timelines, charts, maps, etc., in its proper context. It contains information on how to read the Old and New Testaments and discusses the geography and culture context of each.

Here is the list of sections:

Old Testament overview
Pentateuch
History
Poetry and wisdom
Prophetic books
New Testament overview
The time between the testaments
Gospels and Acts
Epistles and Revelation

Each book covers the purpose, timeline, outline, major sections, themes, and people, background (author, date, setting). It has maps, key verses, and archaeological information including cultures. It has lots of artwork and photos of archaeological finds. The archaeology is my favorite part.

This is an interesting book. It contains the kind of information you expect in study Bibles, but it goes into more detail (especially the archaeology portions). What I like better about having this information in a book like this instead of a Bible id that you can use it with any Bible you want. Also, you don’t have to carry it with you if you don’t need to (whereas if you’re carrying a study Bible you carry it whether you need to or not). You can print it for classwork, so it’s great for teachers. This is a very informative and colorful book and it would be a great tool for Bible study.