NIV, Archaeological Study Bible, Hardcover: An Illustrated Walk Through Biblical History and Culture Hardcover – February 27, 2006

Love this bible. NIV Archaeological Study Bible, Large Print: An Illustrated Walk Through Biblical History and Culture. This is my first NIV but, regardless of bible version, this is a great resource. The illustrations, history references, charts, photos, and notes all are great for study. Linking world history with biblical history is excellent for the unenlightened and new believers. I have to be careful when I open this book for so called quick reference, because I can easily find my self in a marathon session of following scripture references to world history and archaeology. For the person who loves history, and who has a hunger for information, this is--pardon the pun--a heavenly reference book. Thus far the NIV is becoming an active member of my regular biblical text for study. I use it along side KJV, MSG, and AMP.The large print version has a much smaller font then any "large" print bible I have seen. The size, however, is a good size for study. It is particularly easy on the eyes due to the, earth toned, background pages. This is a largish, hard cover book with an heirloom quality look and feel to it. If the print was truly large fonts, this would be a bible to replace the big 50 year old illustrated bible, on display, in my grandparents living room, or the one that the public libraries used to have sitting on a pedestal, in the lobby.

First off, this Bible is HUGE! Measures approximately 11 1/2" x 8" with 2 1/2" thickness. It is made of a duo-tone imitation leather over a hardcover base. Not sure if they make a Bible cover large enough to house this volume, and the cover does not really make you feel as though you need one unless you wish to preserve the covers brilliance. It has gold edges with a ribbon marker. This is NOT a Bible that you would want to carry around any place as it is extremely heavy and cumbersome. Also, please be advised that the so-called LARGE PRINT in this Bible is larger than the standard print Bible of the same kind, but hardly a true LARGE PRINT Bible at all. So if you absolutely need a larger print, in my opinion, this is not the Bible for you unless you don't mind using magnifiers of some kind.Now everything else about this NIV study Bible is positively wonderful in my estimation! Thus the 5 stars despite the above reservations. I still am not sure if I am going to keep it as I have bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, {5 sugeries total for both hands}, and it is a lot heavier than my other LARGE PRINT Bibles. I kinda feel like I am wrestling with it sometimes. However, I fell in love with the 1st edition and could not wait for the LARGE PRINT to come out as there was no way I could use the regular print version with my vision. The print was simply to small. Though I wish the print was a bit larger than this version, I don't think I could handle it if it meant the Bible was going to have to increase in size.I am a fan of the NIV, as well as my usual usage of the NKJV, NLT, NRSV etc... study Bibles. This NIV edition is superior with the extras that you will find in it that just add a wealth of information to your studies and just makes the scripture come alive during your studies.So if you can handle the print size and actual size of the Bible, I would say it is a great buy and you won't regret it.

I was a little worried there would be a certain doctrinal bent to this Bible, but so far I have found it relatively free of that kind of interpretation. Mostly, it has only provided factual information to bear on the biblical text and translation based on historical and archaeological findings. What it does contain in notes and sidebars is quite helpful, although there is plenty this publication does not cover--or historical-contextual questions that I might think of as I read through it for which I find no additional information provided. Granted, this is a large expectation, so for all it does cover, I really appreciate having as much as it does neatly compiled this edition. As much as I would like to, I probably wouldn't take the time to research the historical contexts myself, and as I am not a history graduate, I might not even feel adequate to find solid information (or perhaps readily know where to start). So at least this version narrows down any additional research I would want to undertake.For the purpose and focus this Bible presents, I find it a valuable resource in my personal study. Better yet--the historical contextual information I otherwise may have been missing intrigues me to read the Bible more frequently, whether or not I end up finding any special nuggets in the notes or sidebars.

This book provides lots of information about the history of the middle east. It seems fair. When Biblical locations have not been determined, it gives the various theories. As a child, I had a hard time figuring out where the cities in the Bible were located. The short answer is that many of them have disappeared. This book answers those questions, at least when the answer is known.The photos are great - but too small. From looking at the book on-line, I expected them to be bigger. The print is also hard to read. The background is a nice pinkish-salmon color, but the print is very thin and fine. It isn't easy to read. I din't buy one for my mother-in-law on that account. If there is another printing, they need to use a heavier type.My only complaint about the subject matter is that they have their own history of time, with the Paleolithic Age being 8-10,000 year ago. The authors seem to belong to that group of people who think God buried dinosaur skelectons in the earth just to test our faith. (Not that they mention dinosaurs - it's much easier if you leave them out.) If you can ignore that, their information for the last 3,000-4,000 years is very interesting and informative.