Who were the original inhabitants of the Holy Land? Where were Mount Zion and the City of David situated? Can the scene of Jesus' arrest be located or his crucifixion? This book provides answers to such questions and interweaves biblical stories with the latest research and archeaological discoveries. The book traces the turbulent past, from the earliest human occupation, through the patriarchal age, to the bloody wars of the Crusades and Islamic rule. It features the fertile desert where the first civilizations arose and studies the settlement of the Israelite tribes, and the rise of the Old Testament empires. The great biblical characters are included. Full coverage is given to the development of religion, tracing the ancestry of Judaism, the origins of Christianity and the arrival of Islam in the 7th century. Many aspects of biblical life are also discussed. Illustrations, maps and site plans are included with a timeline of the principal events and protagonists of Bible history, and a gazetteer of sites and museums to visit.