Eric H. Cline

(National Geographic, 256 pages, $26)

Eric H. Cline, a classics professor at George Washington University, brings the scholar's penchant for using multiple sources to seven "mysteries" of the Bible.

Though there are surely some mysteries raised in the New Testament, Dr. Cline devotes this book to the Hebrew Bible. Such stories as the Exodus, Noah's ark and the Battle of Jericho are of universal interest.

Among these mysteries is also the "10 lost tribes of Israel." He uses the material in the Bible, of course, but also the secular records available, as well as the findings of archaeologists. While there are various theories about the lost tribes, the most likely explanation, he says, is that they were assimilated into the various cultures in which they found themselves.

Determining the whereabouts of the Garden of Eden is more difficult. First, has there ever been such a place, or is the biblical account allegorical? Evidence suggests it may have existed somewhere in the Fertile Crescent, with possibilities ranging from Egypt to Turkey. We can never know for sure, of course. Perhaps we will find Eden only in the pages of the Bible.

Dr. Cline cautions against the amateur biblical scholarship by people who write easy-to-read best sellers but don't consider all the available evidence.

Fortunately, Dr. Cline's book is also easy to read, as well as being authoritative.

L. Edward Sizemore