Paul Lawrence, The IVP Atlas of Bible History (Second Edition)

Lawrence, Paul. The IVP Atlas of Bible History. Second Edition. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2024. 187 pages, HB; $56.99.  Link to IVP Academic

The first edition of The IVP Atlas of Bible History (IVP, 2006) was one of the books I reviewed on Reading Acts. In 2010 (nearly 15 years ago!) I did a series of posts on Bible Atlas and included The IVP Atlas of Bible History because I had used it as a textbook for both my Old and New Testament survey classes. I carried it with me to Israel as a resource for leading student tours in 2007 and 2009. This is the Bible Atlas I usually recommend to laypeople who want basic maps and background material as they read the Bible.

Like the Oxford Bible Atlas, the IVP Atlas of Bible History is both a collection of maps and an overview of biblical culture and history. In addition to sections on the major sections of the Bible, the editors include articles on Geography of Canaan (for example, Climate of Canaan, Agriculture of Canaan), archaeology (for example, Archaeology of the Patriarchs, Evidence of the Conquest of Canaan), culture (for example, Writing, Archives and Libraries in the Ancient World, Travel in the Roman World), or historical background essays (for example, Language of the Bible, essays on Assyria, Babylon, Greece, Rome).

The atlas uses “paired pages” linking a map or chart with text describing the content. The oversized format (11.9×9.2 inches) allows for larger maps and a variety of other content. Numerous photographs illustrate the content, and sidebars focus on a more specialized subtopic. The inside margin of the paired pages has a small box that collects all the scripture references for the pages.

I opened both books on my desk and compared every page to compare the two editions. There are no major changes. There are no new topics or essays, and as far as I can tell, the text of the essays is identical between the editions (perhaps there is a typo or two corrected, but nothing substantial). The changes are entirely cosmetic. First, the second edition uses a sans serif font (Ariel style) rather than the serif (Times Roman style) font in the first edition. This makes the text easier to read, especially for those people struggling with dyslexia. Many style guides now recommend a sans serif font for accessibility. Second, colors used for the textboxes are softened. Most boxes no longer have borders, increasing readability. Third, some maps lost the relief style representing mountains (for example, the Persian Empire, p. 113, or Greece, p. 119). Other maps have a softer relief style. This makes for a more readable map, and honestly the “relief” was not particularly accurate. Fourth, I noticed one or two updated photographs. These might simply be lightened with a photo editor, but the image of Thutmose III (p. 49) is from a different angle.

Since this is a Second Edition, I expected some things to be updated. For example, there are no new photographs from the City of David excavations or the Ophel to illustrate First Temple Jerusalem.  The photograph of the Holy Sepulcher is now outdated, since the Cenacle has been refurbished. The published version has the wooden supports for the crumbling walls. Since the first edition, the Caiaphas Ossuary was discovered and would make an excellent addition to the atlas (replacing the James Ossuary, p. 149). Finally, since 2006, there has been much archeology and restoration at Laodicea. Up-to-date photographs of that location would enhance the section on the Seven Churches of Revelation.

Conclusion: Paul Lawrence passed away in February 2025, and Alan Millard passed in 2024. Heinrich von Siebenthal and John H. Walton are consulting editors for both editions. Siebenthal is known for his work on Greek grammars and linguistics, and John Walton published many books on Old Testament themes over the last 15 years. It does not appear any additional editing, consulting, or otherwise was done in the second edition.

If you own the first edition of The IVP Atlas of Bible History, you do not need to buy the second edition. There is no real “upgrade.” However, the new edition is a good investment if you want a solid Bible Atlas with an overview of biblical history and culture. I stand by what I wrote 15 years ago, The IVP Atlas of Bible History is an excellent resource for pastors and laymen, although the scholar might find the content inadequate for their needs.

NB: This atlas is published internationally as The Lion Atlas of Bible History, Second Edition (Lion, 2024). This version is available for Logos Bible Software. I appreciate IVP Academic’s generous offer of a review copy of this book, but this did not influence my thoughts about the work.