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CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible, Hardcover, Black Letter, Full-Color Design, Articles, Photos, Illustrations, Easy-to-Read Bible Serif Type
Visit the Holy Land and other sacred biblical sights alongside the accompanying biblical text without ever leaving home.
The CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible is a visually immersive Bible reading experience featuring over 1,100 images, maps, and illustrations to provide greater insight and understanding of the people, places, and things of Scripture. Book specific introductions provide the setting and circumstances of writing for each book, and every image includes a descriptive caption to help better understand what is pictured. Also included are more than 275 full-length commentary articles and 40+ “Digging Deeper” callouts strategically placed throughout the Bible for further exploration.
FEATURES The CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible features the highly readable, highly reliable text of the Christian Standard Bible® (CSB). The CSB stays as literal as possible to the Bible’s original meaning without sacrificing clarity, making it easier to engage with Scripture’s life-transforming message and to share it with others.
The CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible is a visually immersive Bible reading experience featuring over 1,100 images, maps, and illustrations to provide greater insight and understanding of the people, places, and things of Scripture. Book specific introductions provide the setting and circumstances of writing for each book, and every image includes a descriptive caption to help better understand what is pictured. Also included are more than 275 full-length commentary articles and 40+ “Digging Deeper” callouts strategically placed throughout the Bible for further exploration.
FEATURES The CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible features the highly readable, highly reliable text of the Christian Standard Bible® (CSB). The CSB stays as literal as possible to the Bible’s original meaning without sacrificing clarity, making it easier to engage with Scripture’s life-transforming message and to share it with others.
2000 pages, Hardcover
Published September 15, 2020
8 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 31, 2021
I really liked this Bible. Its full of extra information about the life during biblical times and current archeological finds. Very interesting for history buffs. I also liked the CSB translation. It's similar to the NKJV and easy to read and understand.
November 27, 2020
I'm so excited about this new Bible, I can hardly contain myself!
TL;DR?
Buy it. Buy one for yourself and one for your pastor or your favorite Bible teacher or your teenager with all the questions. After all, it's almost Christmas! Here you go: https://amzn.to/2VjZDUh
Still here? Okay, let me tell you why I am so excited. This "illustrated" Bible is PACKED with information to help you understand the historical context in which each book was written and how the original (and intended) audience would have understood it. This is a big deal.
Unlike some of the other Study Bibles I've reviewed (here and here and here), the Holy Land Illustrated Bible is not filled with QR codes to supplemental teaching videos and/or paragraphs upon paragraphs of commentary written to promote a specific interpretation of a passage or a particular worldview.
The Holy Land Illustrated Bible is a treasure trove of over 1200 images, maps, and illustrations and nearly 300 articles that appeared in the Biblical Illustrator, a scholarly magazine originally published from 1973 to 2020. The original purpose of the Biblical Illustrator was to "offer in-depth information for the serious student of the Word" (G.B. Howell, Content Editor, Biblical Illustrator).
Biblical Illustrator
Earlier this year Biblical Illustrator ceased publication, and instead of allowing all those years of research and scholarship to be archived and forgotten, the decision was made to strategically insert relevant research into the Scriptures right where it would educate the reader to guard against ignorant interpretation.
Biblical Illustrator Magazines
"The intent is not to give you minutia or additional tidbits of obscure information. Instead, it is to help you grow in your commitment to both the Word of God and the God of the Word."
G.B. Howell
Content Editor, Biblical Illustrator
These supplemental resources were chosen because they offer pertinent information with respect to the following questions:
• What is the significance of a particular location?
• How does this event fit into the larger context of Scripture?
• What was going on in the world at that time?
• Was there a significance that the initial readers would have understood that we miss, now centuries later?
In preparation for this review, I read through a variety of articles and call-outs. They are great, and I was excited to see a few articles written by one of my seminary professors. I also reviewed a few book introductions: Daniel, Mark, Hebrews, and Revelation. Each one presented an excellent overview of the historical context while briefly addressing scholarly debates about dating, authorship, and purpose of the book. So. Good.
Video Overview of the Holy Land Illustrated Bible
Below is the promotional video for the Holy Land Illustrated Bible (HLIB), and you can click here to download an 18-page PDF sample which includes an overview of the Bible's features, an introduction to the Christian Standard Bible translation/version, and the entire book of Ruth exactly as it appears in the HLIB.
This Bible literally had me at "Hello." When I used to teach Sunday School, I'd spend a lot of time scouring the internet for photos of locations, artifacts, and landscapes. I'd search for maps showing ancient boundaries and helpful information about cultural norms of the time (depending on the book). With the HLIB, you'll have at your fingertips a basic introduction to biblical archaeology and anthropology how it informs responsible biblical interpretation. This is a resource every serious student of the Bible should own. Full stop.
40+ Call-Outs
In addition to the excellent book introductions and articles which enlighten the reader to the world and culture of the Bible, the Holy Land Illustrated Bible also includes more than 40 "call-outs" which highlight a variety of "recent" discoveries and review their relevance to the Bible. Here's a sampling of the "call-outs" I was excited to see included in this Bible:
• Enuma Elish
• Gligamesh Epic
• Merneptah Stele
• House of David Inscription
• Dead Sea Scrolls
• Cyrus Cylinder
• Jesus in Ancient Non-Christian Sources
• Arch of Titus
Arch of Titus (South inner panel, close-up of relief showing spoils from the fall of Jerusalem)By Dnalor 01 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 at, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32817772
I mean. Seriously. They've published a Bible acknowledging the Babylonian story of Creation (Enuma Elish) and the Flood (Epic of Gilgamesh) with those articles on the same page as the Biblical account. This is rare and exactly what we need nowadays.
THIS is the kind of Bible you want to get your kids. #themoreyouknow
What Are You Waiting For?
I cannot recommend the Holy Land Illustrated Bible highly enough. It actually surprises me how much I love it, and on a personal note, I'd like to let you know that my husband, 18 year old son, and his sweetheart all agree that this is a VERY COOL Bible. Finally.
YAY for archaeology and responsible Bible study!!!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” I am an Amazon affiliate.
May 21, 2024
First sentence: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible features articles (dare I say hundreds?) previously published by the "Sunday School Lesson Illustrator" and "Biblical Illustrator." These are articles--heavily illustrated articles--that provide background and context to biblical times, biblical cultures. Every book of the Bible--even super short books--feature at least one or more articles. Some books have more articles than verses!
The Bible features the Christian Standard Bible translation. It is double column. The columns are wider than some. It is black letter. The Words of Christ do not appear in red. There are book introductions. The articles are the 'main attraction.' Though I will say that I do not mean that the articles replace the text of the holy inspired word of God. I am not assigning that intention to those who created this incredible layout. I simply mean that if a person was seeking to choose A CSB bible to purchase, the articles might be the selling point.
There are pros and cons to the CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible. The fantastic COLORFUL illustrations and visual-heavy layout create several opportunities. The PAPER is fantastic. There is NOT any ghosting. Or very, very, very minimal ghosting. But the volume of articles AND the thickness of the paper do make for an extremely bulky, literally heavy Bible. As a reference Bible, I think the Bible definitely something to consider. If you are one who reads the Bible primarily at a desk or at a table, I do think the heaviness will not be a distraction. If you are someone who primarily reads the Bible in a comfy chair, then this isn't the best lap Bible. I think if one were to read short sections--perhaps two to four chapters per day, it could be manageable. If you are a Bible glutton--like me--then this may not be the best fit for say the Bible in 90 days challenge.
I can appreciate the quality of the paper. It is truly rare to find a Bible with little to no ghosting. Visually, this one is fantastic. Without reading a single word, you are swept away. It does stand out or stand apart from most other Bibles.
The quality of the articles isn't something I am super prepared to judge. Some were more interesting/fascinating than others for sure. Not all were equally engaging. A few were interviews. There were definitely a handful of articles that I truly did find engaging and informative. A few that I wanted to share what I had learned with someone else [before I forgot what I just learned.] Having read through it once, it will be a nice enough reference bible, but it isn't practical enough for every day use because it is so physically heavy.
The CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible features articles (dare I say hundreds?) previously published by the "Sunday School Lesson Illustrator" and "Biblical Illustrator." These are articles--heavily illustrated articles--that provide background and context to biblical times, biblical cultures. Every book of the Bible--even super short books--feature at least one or more articles. Some books have more articles than verses!
The Bible features the Christian Standard Bible translation. It is double column. The columns are wider than some. It is black letter. The Words of Christ do not appear in red. There are book introductions. The articles are the 'main attraction.' Though I will say that I do not mean that the articles replace the text of the holy inspired word of God. I am not assigning that intention to those who created this incredible layout. I simply mean that if a person was seeking to choose A CSB bible to purchase, the articles might be the selling point.
There are pros and cons to the CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible. The fantastic COLORFUL illustrations and visual-heavy layout create several opportunities. The PAPER is fantastic. There is NOT any ghosting. Or very, very, very minimal ghosting. But the volume of articles AND the thickness of the paper do make for an extremely bulky, literally heavy Bible. As a reference Bible, I think the Bible definitely something to consider. If you are one who reads the Bible primarily at a desk or at a table, I do think the heaviness will not be a distraction. If you are someone who primarily reads the Bible in a comfy chair, then this isn't the best lap Bible. I think if one were to read short sections--perhaps two to four chapters per day, it could be manageable. If you are a Bible glutton--like me--then this may not be the best fit for say the Bible in 90 days challenge.
I can appreciate the quality of the paper. It is truly rare to find a Bible with little to no ghosting. Visually, this one is fantastic. Without reading a single word, you are swept away. It does stand out or stand apart from most other Bibles.
The quality of the articles isn't something I am super prepared to judge. Some were more interesting/fascinating than others for sure. Not all were equally engaging. A few were interviews. There were definitely a handful of articles that I truly did find engaging and informative. A few that I wanted to share what I had learned with someone else [before I forgot what I just learned.] Having read through it once, it will be a nice enough reference bible, but it isn't practical enough for every day use because it is so physically heavy.
September 19, 2020
I have been anxiously awaiting the release of this Bible for months...and I was not disappointed! I have always wanted to see the Holy Land, the places where Jesus physically walked and lived. While I have not been able to do that yet, this Bible allows me to see and study the Holy Land from the comfort of my own home. The visuals draw me in, and I could easily lose hours reading, studying, and just enjoying all that this Bible has to offer.
I have the hardcover version, and it comes with an attractive dust jacket. The Bible itself is a cream color with a brown spine. The spine has "CSB", "Holy Land Illustrated Bible", "Christian Standard Bible", and "Holman" stamped on it. It has two ribbons, one light brown and the other cream colored. This Bible has a paste down liner and a sewn binding. The font size is 9.5, and it is a black letter text.
Each book of the Bible starts with a full color picture, followed by a page long introduction. The introduction is broken into three parts: Circumstances of writing, Contribution to the Bible, and Structure. There are over 1,200 images, maps, and illustrations throughout the Bible, and that is my favorite thing about this particular Bible. Not only do you have the scriptures in the readable CSB translation, but you have more images and illustrations than I could possibly begin to share with you in this review. There are also more than 40 digging deeper sections that explain many different artifacts and places, and their significance to the Bible. There are more than 275 articles to help you to understand the culture of the Bible as well. In the back of the Bible, there is a table of weights and measures, a concordance, and eight full color maps.
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite Bibles (and I have, and have seen and passed on, pretty many Bibles). I love spending time reading study Bibles, especially illustrated study Bibles, and this is by far the most interesting and engaging study Bible that I own at this point. I love learning about the Holy Land, seeing the different artifacts, and the connection to scripture. If you enjoy history, want to see the Holy Land, and love a visual study Bible, then I would highly recommend the CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible.
I received a copy of this Bible from Holman, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I have the hardcover version, and it comes with an attractive dust jacket. The Bible itself is a cream color with a brown spine. The spine has "CSB", "Holy Land Illustrated Bible", "Christian Standard Bible", and "Holman" stamped on it. It has two ribbons, one light brown and the other cream colored. This Bible has a paste down liner and a sewn binding. The font size is 9.5, and it is a black letter text.
Each book of the Bible starts with a full color picture, followed by a page long introduction. The introduction is broken into three parts: Circumstances of writing, Contribution to the Bible, and Structure. There are over 1,200 images, maps, and illustrations throughout the Bible, and that is my favorite thing about this particular Bible. Not only do you have the scriptures in the readable CSB translation, but you have more images and illustrations than I could possibly begin to share with you in this review. There are also more than 40 digging deeper sections that explain many different artifacts and places, and their significance to the Bible. There are more than 275 articles to help you to understand the culture of the Bible as well. In the back of the Bible, there is a table of weights and measures, a concordance, and eight full color maps.
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite Bibles (and I have, and have seen and passed on, pretty many Bibles). I love spending time reading study Bibles, especially illustrated study Bibles, and this is by far the most interesting and engaging study Bible that I own at this point. I love learning about the Holy Land, seeing the different artifacts, and the connection to scripture. If you enjoy history, want to see the Holy Land, and love a visual study Bible, then I would highly recommend the CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible.
I received a copy of this Bible from Holman, in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
November 20, 2020
An Exciting New Bible!
PLEASE READ THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG: http://bookreadingtic.com/2020/11/19/... THANK YOU!
Another Bible? Yes, but not like any that is usually seen. The Christian Standard Bible (CSB) is a translation that sticks to the meaning of the original language but is also clearly understood. When reading the scripture, the goal of this Bible is for the reader to understand the following three things:
What was the world like at the time of the Bible passage?
What is the meaning of the geographic location?
Would people, at the time of the scripture, understand a significance not easy to understand now?
In order to do that, this volume has:
Hundreds of full-color images, maps and illustrations that apply to what is being read.
More than 275 full-length articles along with 40 “Digging Deeper” articles to increase understanding.
Each book has a complete introduction that tells the setting, the author and circumstances at the time of writing.
Additionally, the 9.5 font type is easy on the eyes, there are two built-in ribbon book marks, and despite being a substantial volume, it is not difficult to carry. This hard-backed book is filled with good quality paper unlike the typically thin Bible pages. Full of colorful pictures, maps & extra items little known before about scripture—make you feel like you have traveled to the Holy Land without leaving your armchair.
It all comes together to make an exciting way to study scripture in a 5+star Bible that I highly recommend.
I am happy to say tickmenot has one of these great Bibles in my blog giveaway.
LEV3L Digital provided Tickmenot with Bibles for this giveaway and review.
PLEASE READ THIS REVIEW ON MY BLOG: http://bookreadingtic.com/2020/11/19/... THANK YOU!
Another Bible? Yes, but not like any that is usually seen. The Christian Standard Bible (CSB) is a translation that sticks to the meaning of the original language but is also clearly understood. When reading the scripture, the goal of this Bible is for the reader to understand the following three things:
What was the world like at the time of the Bible passage?
What is the meaning of the geographic location?
Would people, at the time of the scripture, understand a significance not easy to understand now?
In order to do that, this volume has:
Hundreds of full-color images, maps and illustrations that apply to what is being read.
More than 275 full-length articles along with 40 “Digging Deeper” articles to increase understanding.
Each book has a complete introduction that tells the setting, the author and circumstances at the time of writing.
Additionally, the 9.5 font type is easy on the eyes, there are two built-in ribbon book marks, and despite being a substantial volume, it is not difficult to carry. This hard-backed book is filled with good quality paper unlike the typically thin Bible pages. Full of colorful pictures, maps & extra items little known before about scripture—make you feel like you have traveled to the Holy Land without leaving your armchair.
It all comes together to make an exciting way to study scripture in a 5+star Bible that I highly recommend.
I am happy to say tickmenot has one of these great Bibles in my blog giveaway.
LEV3L Digital provided Tickmenot with Bibles for this giveaway and review.
December 25, 2020
There are many wonderful study Bibles on the market but the CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible provides readers with an immersive experience that few can match. This is a must-have for any serious Bible student…
This excerpt is taken from the original review that is published on my blog. To read my review in its entirety, please visit Create With Joy.
This excerpt is taken from the original review that is published on my blog. To read my review in its entirety, please visit Create With Joy.
August 14, 2025
This book, like other Holman books, was printed in China. I have no idea what their printing process is or what type of ink they use. The book stank and gave me a terrible headache from being near it.
December 26, 2021
Love this Bible! Easy read. Great articles that contain a lot of nice information. Beautiful pictures. Just a really nice Bible.
December 30, 2022
Great read. Would do it again. 😉
But for real, love the CSB translation and the contextual history pages were awesome. Absolutely helped bring passages to life.
But for real, love the CSB translation and the contextual history pages were awesome. Absolutely helped bring passages to life.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews