From Eden to Exile: Unraveling Mysteries of the Bible. By Eric H. Cline June 2007. 256.illus. National Geographics. $26 (97814200847). 221.6.

Cline, a professor at George Washington University who has written several popular books on biblical studies and archaelogy, here turns his attention to some of the most enduring biblical mysteries: Was there really a Garden of Eden, and if so, where was it? What happened to Noah's ark? Did the Israelites really trek through the desert for 40 years? What happened the 10 lost tribes of Israel? These are topics that can and have filled up numerous books of their own, but what Cline intends here is a quick overview, a brisk trip through some of the great mysteries of biblical history, advancing his own theories about what happened and mentioning alternative opinions. In the final chapter, on the lost tribes, for example, after offering persuasive arguments for his opinion that most of the Jews of the time fled to Judah or intermarried with the Assyrians, who occupied the land, he then says, definitively, '"These people were never lost." An accessibly written introduction that will likely prompt readers to dig deeper. -Ilene Cooper

Copyright Booklist Publications Jun 1-Jun 15, 2007