A belief now firmly entrenched, it is difficult to believe that at one time looking at the Bible from an Oriental perspective was a new idea. Trumbull was writing at the brink of a period when this perspective was beginning to grow. Following the lead of the great anthropologists of the late nineteenth century, Trumbull turned to the contemporary inhabitants of Palestine to enlighten the western view of the Bible. His fascinating work examines essential social functions – betrothals, weddings, hospitality, funerals, and mourning; basic concepts – the forerunner, the way, father; religious practices – praying, pilgrimage, healing, Passover; and the effect of the desert – food, gold and silver, and water in the wilderness. These concepts, literally taken for granted by most people, shed a distinctive light on the Bible when viewed from its homeland.

Henry Clay Trumbull (1830-1903) was a Congregational clergyman and author. He served as the Chaplain of the Tenth Connecticut Regiment and later became the editor of Sunday School Times.