Heart Of Dakota World Geography

[kolamum]

If you are doing this level are you using Unveiling The Kings Of Israel or have you replaced it? 

We are using it, but it's laden with problems, big problems. I'm looking to replace this book, but I'm not sure what with and am looking for ideas. :) 

[Nam2001]

3 hours ago, kolamum said:

If you are doing this level are you using Unveiling The Kings Of Israel or have you replaced it? 

We are using it, but it's laden with problems, big problems. I'm looking to replace this book, but I'm not sure what with and am looking for ideas. 🙂

I’m not using it now but plan to next year. What problems have you seen? 

[kolamum]

7 hours ago, Nam2001 said:

I’m not using it now but plan to next year. What problems have you seen? 

They are numerous.

The book is basically a retelling of OT times sprinkled with occasional history. He uses the Bible to back himself up, but even the Bible disagrees with him. Here's a smattering:

Claims the Tower of Babel was built because the people feared another "deluge". That's not what the Bible says at all, and if the people feared another deluge because they knew what had previously happened wouldn't they also know the WHY of it happening? The author claims these horribly sinful people were terrified of a deluge due to their sins so they build the tower. That makes 0 sense, if they were afraid of being wiped out due to their sins wouldn't they have just repented? Not to mention that's not at all what Genesis 11 says about the situation.

He opts to quote Genesis 12:1 {God's command to Abram} prior to Genesis 11:31 {when Terah chose to leave the land of Ur} and says that Terah heard God's command to Abram and took up the challenge to move the family. Yet, one sentence prior he accuses Abram's family of being moon worshipers {no joke!} Further when God gave Abram that command Terah was dead, so there's no way Terah heard a command for Abram and acted upon it.

He claims Sarai would have preferred life in a harem over life in a tent. His reasoning? She'd have maidservant and not have to attended to wifely duties. There are so many problems with that statement it makes my head spin. The woman wanted a child, there's only one way that was gonna happen. Avoiding wifely duties wasn't gonna help her odds. Further, she already had maidservants, Abram wasn't a poor peasant. In fact, we know of at least one of her maidservants, Hagar, whom Sarai offered up to Abram in an attempt to jump the gun on God's promise to Abram. How well did it workout when she allowed someone else to fulfil her wifely duties? Pretty sure Genesis 16 tells that story.

He makes the non-stop accusation/argument that Abram palmed off his wife in Egypt because his faith was weak, without once mentioning what the Bible says which is that Abram feared for is life. Now, I'm not arguing that Abram's faith might have also been weak when he opted to go with the story that she was his sister, which wasn't a lie but the author argues over and over that it's a half lie which makes it a lie. Yet, if this weak faith and lie offended God so much why did he protect not only Sarai but also Abram and further, why did he multiply their possessions while they were in Egypt? (See Genesis 12) Yet, when Hagar was offered up to him there's no mention of how Abram failed to seek council from God on the matter. A bit odd, dontcha think?

My list could go on and on. I'm frustrated that the author of HOD chose this book considering for years she's encouraged and guided children to refute things with scriptures. Now she's chosen a book that uses Scripture to defend it's position, but when you look up the scripture it actually refutes the false teachings. Point in case. The man claims that Esau was called Edom because he was born red and hairy. He defends himself with Genesis 25:30 which, in every version I looked through yesterday actually says that Esau asked for a bowl of lentil stew and that upon eating it his face was red and thus he was called Edom. With footnotes that explain that Edom means red {or some variation of that footnote.}

I did hear back from the company, but that was to inform me the email was received but the author was away due to an emergency, so I guess I'll have to wait to hear the reasoning for this book. Unfortunately, so far into the programme each Monday the student is responsible for a 3-5 paragraph narration on the information provided in this book.

[Lori D.]

Possible substitutions ?? :

Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archeology: A Book by Book Guide to Archeological Discoveries Related to the Bible
National Geographic: Archaeology of the Bible: The Greatest Discoveries From Genesis to Roman Era
The Biblical World: Illustrated Atlas
Rose: Then and Now Bible Map Atlas with Biblical Backgrounds and Culture
Biblical Archaeology: An Introduction, with Recent Discoveries that Support the Reliability of the Bible

Edited January 21, 2019 by Lori D.