Israel: Beauty, Light, And Luxury By Tara-Leigh Cobble

Israel: Beauty, Light, and Luxury

by Tara-Leigh Cobble

Photography by Richard Van De Water

Publisher: Bethany House

ISBN: 9780764240348

As a person who thoroughly enjoys The Bible Recap, my interest was piqued when I saw this new book Israel: Beauty, Light, and Luxury. I received this book for review thanks for Bethany House.

Summary:

Come discover the land of Jesus. It will transform the way you read your Bible.

Israel abounds with beauty. It is vibrant and thriving, stacked with delicacies and flooded with light. The desert is blooming and people are flourishing--just as Scripture promised. To the surprise of many, Israel is far more than deserts and ruins.

Pairing 31 rich devotionals with 350 gorgeous photos of Israel today, Tara-Leigh Cobble, creator of The Bible Recap, takes you on an unforgettable journey through the Holy Land. Since 2014, she has led boutique teaching tours of the country, learning its landscapes and stories. Glimpse Israel's features, flora, and people, all while making deeper connections with its biblical stories and truth.

My Review:

If I asked you what you think Israel looks like, what immediately comes to mind? For me, I think of a lot of brown desert, tan colored homes, and lots of old sites from Biblical times. While I think a lot of that is true, Tara-Leigh gives us a vibrant, stunning tour around the country!

When the book arrived, I was so surprised at how large it is! I didn't realize it's a coffee table book! Here's to actually wishing I had a coffee table. For now it'll be a side table book.

The photographer did an incredible job of bringing the country to life through his shots. I can imagine that they poured over thousands of photos he'd taken to get all of the "right" ones for this book. I have looked through the book several times since it arrived and find something new and beautiful each time. The details the photographer captured are gorgeous.

I think some of my favorite photos throughout the book include water or flowers, BUT for some reason, there's a photo of a man who is rolling a cigarette and I just want to squish his face because he's absolutely adorable. Get the book, you'll see what I mean!

The books starts in Joppa and uses Acts 10: 1-23 as a reference. Tara-Leigh gives an explanation of what life was like there and then explains the photo(s). As you move through the book (and the Bible) she also has various Scripture. For example, about a fourth of the way through the book there's a spread of some incredible looking food and she shares Deuteronomy 8:9. The book ends with the Garden Tomb. She and Richard really bring to life the various locations of Biblical reference.

At the end of the book there's a Photo Index, which I was so appreciative of. They didn't clutter all of the pages with text. We get to soak in the beauty of each photo. I don't think I'll ever get enough of this book and it makes me want to go to Israel even more now that I've seen what I'm missing!

About the Author:

Tara-Leigh Cobble's (www.taraleighcobble.com) is the creator and host of the daily The Bible Recap podcast, which has garnered more than 230 million downloads. She is also the founder of D-Group, an international network of more than 300 discipleship and Bible study groups that meet each week, and the host of a daily radio feature called The God Shot. Tara-Leigh lives in Dallas, Texas.