Authors: Bruce Feiler
Avner agreed, pointing to a passage in Deuteronomy 3 in which Moses begs God to change his mind. “You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal!” Moses says. “Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good land on the other side of the Jordan.” But God snaps back. “Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again!” Surely this exchange proves Moses’ anguish, Avner said.
While there is certainly a personal tragedy inherent in these passages, there is also, I came to believe, a personal triumph for Moses. This triumph is hinted at in the unusual comprehensiveness of Moses’ final tour. Simply put: It would be impossible, even on the clearest day (or the clearest night), for a person to see everything from Mount Nebo that the text says Moses sees. David Faiman, the physicist from Sdeh Boker, actually did a mathematical calculation to prove that based on the curvature of the earth, the speed of light, and the strength of the human eye, no person could ever see the Galilee, the Mediterranean, or the Negev from Mount Nebo.
Also, the text doesn’t actually end with Moses’ death. It ends with a poignant eulogy of the great leader. The last three of the Pentateuch’s 5,845 verses declare:“Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses—whom the Lord singled out, face to face, for the various signs and portents that the Lord sent him to display in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his courtiers and his whole country, and for all the great might and awesome power that Moses displayed before Israel.” The Pentateuch doesn’t end by emphasizing Moses’ tragedy. It ends by emphasizing his uniqueness and his unique relationship with the divine.
This prompted the last—and most unexpected—observation of our trip. The actual physical dimensions of the Promised Land matter far less at this moment than its spiritual dimensions. After hundreds of years in which the land has been the driving force in the story, it now assumes a metaphoric role. Surely, for the Israelites, the Promised Land is still their destination. For Moses, too, the Promised Land is still a dream, and he was no doubt deeply disappointed that he didn’t get to achieve it.
But at the end, his tragedy is ameliorated by his ability to see what no one else sees. Denied entry, Moses actually gets more: He gets prophetic vision, personally granted to him by God. The Israelites will get the land, but they will continue to struggle with God. Their leader, however, has fulfillment. And he reaches this pinnacle not by looking out from the mountain. For looking out will not show him what he sees. The only way for Moses to see the complete dimensions—the full glory—of the Promised Land is by looking inward, toward his own internal geography, the true reflection of divine glory. Moses may not get the land, but he gets the promise. This is the lesson of Mount Nebo and the poetic twist at the end of the Five Books that help make them such a hymn:The land alone is not the destination; the destination is the place where human beings live in consort with the divine. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter that what the Bible describes is impossible to see. It doesn’t matter because Moses wasn’t seeing as we do. At the end, he wasn’t even looking at the land. He was looking where we
should
look. He was looking at God.
A Study and Reading Group Guide to Walking the Bible
I
NTRODUCTION
Bruce Feiler’s 10,000-mile journey and archaeological odyssey—by foot, jeep, rowboat, and camel—through the Holy Land was his means by which to reconnect with the Bible. Feiler—a fifth-generation Jew from Savannah, Georgia—cites the original seeker, Abraham, as his inspiration: “Abraham was not originally the man he became. He was not an Israelite; he was not a Jew. He was not even a believer in God—at least initially. He was a traveler, called by some voice not entirely clear that said: ‘Go ahead to this land, walk along this route, and trust what you will find.’”
Along with noted Israeli archaeologist Avner Goren, who is Feiler’s trusted guide, partner, mentor, and sidekick, Feiler embarks in
Walking the Bible
on painstakingly retracing through the desert the route of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament. Traveling through three continents and four war zones—in Turkey, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Egypt, and Jordan—Feiler converses freely with Bedouins and religious pilgrims alike. He visits actual places referenced in the Bible, including Mount Ararat, where it is believed that Noah’s Ark landed after the flood; Saint Catherine’s Monastery, the site of the burning bush where Moses first heard the words of God; and Mount Nebo, where Moses overlooked the Promised Land.
Feiler continually reflects on how the geography of the land affects the narrative of the Bible, and pointedly wonders whether the Bible is
just an abstraction, or a living, breathing entity. Ultimately, Feiler concludes in
Walking the Bible
that the Bible is “forever applicable, it’s always now. . . . It lives because it never dies.”
Whether you’ve journeyed to the Middle East yourself or are content to remain an “armchair traveler,” the material below will deepen your experience and understanding of the region. This guide is also designed to help book groups explore and reflect on
Walking the Bible
through discussion. Using it, readers may trace the large themes Feiler touches upon in his travels—feelings about the land, its people, their history, the Bible—and consider Feiler’s own experiences on his journey.
D
ISCUSSION
Q
UESTIONS
1. Feiler traveled to many places as he journeyed through the sites found in the five books of Moses. Which one did you find the most interesting or inspiring? Why?
2. Of the many facts, stories, and history Feiler tells about the Bible and its geography, what did you find the most surprising? In other words, what did you learn about the Bible you didn’t know before?
3. In the chapter, “Wall of Water,” Feiler writes, “
As much as [Avner] knew about the Bible
, he seemed to know more about the nature of travel, about how to go to places, leave a bit of yourself behind, take a bit of the place with you, and in the process emerge with something bigger—an experience, a connection, a story.” What do you think was Feiler’s most significant “experience” or “connection” in his walk through the Bible? Why?
4. Describe Avner’s connection to and feelings for Sinai.
5. What is Feiler’s purpose in
Walking the Bible
? Does he accomplish that purpose? How?
6. Describe how the desert figures in Feiler’s travels—what he found there, its influence on the lives of those who live in the desert now and on those who lived in biblical times.
7. Who do you think was the most fascinating person Feiler met in his travels? Why?
8. In “Sunrise in the Palm of God,” Feiler writes, “[The]
more profound change
the journey brought about in me . . . allowed me to turn off my mind occasionally and open myself up to feelings—spiritual, emotional, divine, even imaginary—that might innately connect me to the world. . . . [A]fter months of traveling around the Middle East, I felt newly aware of the emotional power of certain places, the essential meridians of history that exist just underneath the topsoil. . . .” Have you ever traveled to a place that connected you emotionally to that place in the way Feiler describes? If so, describe your experience. If not, where do you imagine such a place might be for you?
9. Describe Avner and how Feiler relies on him.
10. Describe some of the contrasts Feiler experiences between the ancient biblical world and the modern world of the Middle East.
11. In “Go Forth,” Feiler writes, “
Some journeys we choose
to go on, I realized; some journeys choose us.” Talk about a time when you felt compelled to begin a journey—a time when you felt the journey chose you.
12. In “In the Land of Canaan,” Feiler writes about meeting Fern Dobuler, an Israeli who was originally from New York. Fern says, “
When my kids used to go on field trips
in America, they went to a museum, to the Empire State Building. Here when you go on a field trip they drop you off in the middle of the nowhere and you walk, for hours and hours and hours.” Discuss the difference between how Americans and Middle Easterners feel about or experience the land.
13. Contrast the differences Feiler experiences in Israel with his experiences in Egypt.
14. Discuss the similarities and differences between
St. Catherine’s monastery
in the chapter “On Holy Ground” and
Kibbutz Sdeh Borer
in the chapter “The Land of Milk and Honey.”
15. How did Feiler’s travels change your mind about the Middle East, the people who live there and their history? Or how did Feiler’s travels support what you already think about the Middle East?
F
OR
F
URTHER
R
EADING
The Art of Biblical Narrative
by Robert Alter
God: A Biography
by Jack Miles
The Bible As it Was
by James L. Kugel
R
EFERENCE
The HarperCollins Study Bible
, New Revised Standard Version
HarperCollins Bible Commentary, Revised Edition
, James L. Mays, General Editor, With the Society of Biblical Literature
HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, Revised Edition
, Paul J. Achtemeier, General Editor, With the Society of Biblical Literature
HarperCollins Concise Atlas of the Bible
, James B. Pritchard
Fred Benjamin gave the tour that inspired this project and was a source of wisdom throughout its completion. Laura Benjamin was a loyal, enthusiastic companion—and a good friend. Thank you also to Yael and Noah Benjamin.
This book, obviously, is a tribute to the wisdom, experience, and good humor of Avner Goren. I would also like to express my deepest appreciation to Edith Sabbagh, who sent us off with best wishes and welcomed us home with open arms. I am indebted to the dozens of people who appear by name in this book, many of whom discussed extremely private matters with openness and insight. Thanks also to Ahmed Ali, Avi Armoni, Zvika Bar-or, Bezalel Cohen, Trude Dhotan, Ilan Stein, Jane Taylor, and Linda and Donald Zisquit.
David Black is my friend and agent, and the most devoted of partners. I feel fortunate to be surrounded by such warm, supportive colleagues: Susan Raihofer, Gary Morris, Joy Tutela.
Trish Grader believed passionately in this project from the moment she heard of it, and escorted it gracefully through every stage, improving it greatly along the way. At Morrow/HarperCollins, I am deeply thankful for the support of Cathy Hemming, Michael Morrison, Lisa Gallagher, and Dee Dee DeBartlo. Thanks to Sarah Durand for all her hard work, and a special word of appreciation to Lou Aronica for his commitment.
I am blessed with good friends and tough, generous editors. Everlasting
thanks to Karen Essex, Karen Lehrman, and Joe Weisberg. Amy Stevens read several versions of this book, improving each one—and me—along the way. Max Stier accompanied me on an early, exploratory mission, and made the idea seem worthwhile. Doug Frantz gave me a push when I needed it. Linda Rottenberg provided daily, inspirational support. Beth Middleworth is a talented and extremely accommodating designer. Lynn Goldberg and Camille McDuffie are old friends and true professionals. For their love, patience, and occasional prodding, thanks to Andy Cowan and Deena Margolis, Justin Castillo, Susan Chumsky, Jane von Mehren and Ken Diamond, Jan and Gordon Franz, James Hunter, Beverly Keel, Jessica Korn, Dana Sade, Lauren Schneider, David Shenk, Ben Sherwood, Jeff Shumlin, Devon Spurgeon, Rob Tannenbaum, and Teresa Tritch.
My parents read early drafts of this book and gave valuable comments and even more valuable heartfelt enthusiasm. My brother, Andrew, continues to be my most acute critic and trusted collaborator. A few days after I returned from Mount Nebo, my sister, Cari, gave birth to her first son, Max. May this book stand as a tribute to her and to the hope that her descendants—and
his
descendants—will be as numerous as the stars.
One of the many pleasures of spending so much time around the Bible was sampling the extensive literature on life in the biblical world. My research, while comprehensive, was in no way definitive. Instead, I tried to read as widely as possible and seek out experts who might further guide me. In lieu of footnotes I have decided to include detailed source notes, with particular attention to books that I found most helpful or that might be of interest to those curious about further study.
First a few words on fundamentals. English translations of the Bible vary in style, substance, and purpose. For the sake of consistency, all quotations in the text come from
The Torah: A Modern Commentary
(New York, 1981), edited by W. Gunther Plaut. Another superb translation is
The Five Books of Moses
(New York, 1995) by Everett Fox. I also consulted the Revised Standard Version, the New International Version, the King James Version, and one by the Jewish Publication Society. Robert Alter, author of
The Art of Biblical Narrative,
has made an artful translation of his own, called
Genesis
.
In keeping with long-standing academic custom and recent trends in popular writing, the nonsectarian terms
B.C.E.
(Before the Common Era) and
C.E.
(Common Era) are used throughout the book in lieu of the terms
B.C.
and
A.D.
The most authoritative guide to understanding the Bible is the
Anchor Bible Dictionary
(New York, 1992), a six-volume reference book that was never out of arm’s reach. Other thorough reference books I
consulted frequently include
The Oxford Companion to the Bible
,
The Cambridge Companion to the Bible,
and the
Lutterworth Dictionary of the Bible
. Rabbi Joseph Telushkin’s
Biblical Literacy
is a delightful—and highly readable—one-volume resource.