Israel Beauty, Light, and Luxury by Tara-Leigh Cobbles Book Review

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 about its landscapes and stories. Glimpse Israel's features, flora, and people, all while making deeper connections with its biblical stories and truth.

My Thoughts:

A beautiful full-colored photo book of Israel.  The photos are stunning of different areas throughout Israel. There are thirty-one locations throughout Israel: Joppa, Caesarea Maritima, Mount Carmel, Tel Dan, Ein Gedi, Masada, Mount Olives, Garden Tomb, and many other known locations throughout the Bible.

Each location starts out with a scripture verse about the location and a bit of history on it.

I have been to Israel before and it’s a stunning place to be and has a unique beauty like nowhere else in the world. My husband and son have been there a few times. My son just got back from Israel two weeks ago on a self-made tour and not with a traditional tour group.

I love the stunning pictures in this book and even several aerial photos of the country. There are a lot of photos of hotels and resorts' lounging areas inside and outside. A lot of places to sit with stunning views in the hotels. The Dead Sea all the hotels are stunning with a lot of sitting areas to get out of the heat. There were also food photos which I thought were good.

I would have loved to see more of the architecture in Israel and the ruins of the different places. I know all the ruins look kind of the same but there are several places that are unique.  I love the doors and gates in Israel They are unique and stunning. The culture there is rich with the different outdoor markets. The people like more of the Bedouins and other cultures. The nine of the falls of Ein Gedi along with the caves. In most tour groups you see only two of the falls and maybe three. I was hoping to see more synagogues and mosaics that you find in several places that are amazingly preserved. Jesus would have been in those places too. Fishermen on the Sea of Gallie, Hebron, Safed, and even the miniature of the city of Jerusalem. I would have rather seen fewer hotel and sitting areas.

There is an index in the back of the book with locations. I would have loved to see location information on each page.

Did I like the book, yes. It’s absolutely stunning. I just wanted to see more of Israel and the landscape and culture. I love Israel and felt it represents so much more than the photos here. It's truly in the eye of the beholder as there is much to see in Israel and what I want to see is slightly different than what the author shows. There is much more to Israel than all the ruins and I get that the author wanted others to see more than that. Israel is a modern-day miracle with the land being rich in culture, produce, and flora. It's amazing what the country has done since 1967. Israel is truly blessed by God.

Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest thoughts.