Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Historical Books, Volume 1: Joshua–Ruth
A guided tour of Joshua’s conquest and the time of the judges
Joshua led Israel to conquer a real historic land, and the judges delivered Israel from distinct historic peoples. When we understand the geographic and cultural features of the Bible, we experience its stories with fresh eyes.
Written by a team of experts on biblical geography and culture, the Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Historical Books, Volume 1, is a guide to the world of Israel in the promised land. Each article addresses a particular story, event, or subject in Judges through Ruth, with full-color maps and photos providing deeper layers of context. Historical and cultural insights give readers a richer understanding of the biblical story.
Lexham Geographic Commentaries
Geography is a central concern throughout Scripture, but the full significance of the geographical context is easily overlooked without a familiarity with the places, the relative distances, and the ancient setting. The Lexham Geographic Commentaries will not only place you in the sandals of the ancient writers of Scripture, but they will explain the significance of the geographic details in the biblical text for your life today.
Learn more about the other titles in this series.
A New Type of Commentary
To create an innovative, award-winning commentary on the geographic and physical background of the biblical text, we partnered with noted Bible scholar and cartographer Dr. Barry J. Beitzel. This commentary will not only place you in the sandals of the Apostles as they traveled throughout the Roman Empire, but it will explain the significance of the geographic details in the biblical text for your life today.
In the Lexham Geographic Commentary articles on each passage are enriched with relevant details that integrate the valuable resources of Logos Bible Software. So instead of being bound to the commentary text, you will be encouraged to explore Atlas maps of the region discussed, or conduct a Bible Word Study of a Greek word that was mentioned. And if reading through a commentary isn’t your thing, no worries! The wealth of information throughout the Lexham Geographic Commentary will be accessible from multiple angles within Logos Bible Software. So whether you’re studying a specific pericope using the Passage Guide or simply reading through your preferred Bible with the commentary linked together, the relevant information will be surfaced helping you further explore the acts of the Apostles and John’s letters to the seven churches.
- “The Place the Lord Your God Will Choose” (Deut 12:5): Where Was it in Ancient Israel?
- The Jordan Crossing: A Geographical and Theological Assessment
- The Battle of Jericho: A Geographical Analysis
- The Battle of Ai: A Geographical Analysis
- The Covenant Renewal Ceremonies at Shechem: A Geographical and Theological Assessment
- The Battle at Gibeon-Makkedah: A Geographic Analysis
- The Northern Campaign and the Battle of Hazor: A Geographical Analysis
- The Archaeology and Historical Geography of the Slain Kings of Joshua 12
- Early Israel’s Settlement in Southern Canaan and Transjordan: A Geographic and Socio-spatial Analysis
- The Philistines and Sea Peoples in Light of Recent Excavations
- “The Land that Remains”: Evidence in Favor of the Thirteenth Century BC View of the Israelite Conquest and Settlement
- Apportionment of the Promised Land to the Transjordanian Tribes of Reuben, Gad, and East Manasseh
- Apportionment of the Promised Land to the Tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, West Manasseh, and Simeon
- The Geography of the Campaign of Pharaoh Merenptah and Its Relation to Early Israel
- The Prominence of the Land of Ephraim and Manasseh in the Conquest and Early Settlement Narratives
- The Reiterative Mention of the Town of Bethel
- Apportionment of the Promised Land to the Tribes of Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Dan
- The Historical Geography of the Levitical Towns in Joshua 21 and 1 Chronicles 6:54–81
- A Geographical Analysis of the Judgeships of Othniel and Ehud
- A Geographical Analysis of the Judgeship of Deborah and Barak
- ‘March on My Soul with Might!’—The Geographical Setting of Judges 4–5
- Geographic Metaphors and Similes Used for God in the Historical Books of the Hebrew Bible
- A Geographical Analysis of the Judgeship of Gideon
- Evidence of Early Israel? A Socio-spatial Analysis of the “Four-room” House in Context
- The Jephthah Narrative in Its Historical-Geographic Context
- Samson versus the Philistines in the Shephelah
- Ancient Dan in Its Geographical, Archaeological, and Biblical Contexts
- “From Dan to Beersheba”: A Geographical Analysis of the Recurring Expression of Israel’s Monarchy
- The Book of Ruth: A Socio-spatial Analysis of Moab and Bethlehem
- Title: Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Historical Books, Volume 1
- General Editor: Barry J. Beitzel
- Series: Lexham Geographic Commentaries
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Publication Date: 2025
- Pages: 650
- Format: Logos Digital, Hardcover
- Trim Size: 6x9
- ISBN: 9781683597919
Barry J. Beitzel is professor emeritus of Old Testament and Semitic languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He holds a PhD in ancient Near Eastern studies from Dropsie University in Philadelphia. He obtained a postdoctorate in ancient Near Eastern geography from the Université de Liège, Belgium, and has engaged in postdoctoral archaeological work in eastern Syria through UCLA. He is the author of Where Was The Biblical Red Sea? Examining the Ancient Evidence and The New Moody Atlas of the Bible.