ATLAS OF THE HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE HOLY LAND.* IT
is twenty-two years sines Dr. George Adam Smith gave us his His- torical Geography of the Holy Land, which took the place for the present generation of Stanley's Sinai and Palestine. In the preface to that book he promised an historical atlas, and gave a foretaste of what we might look forward to in the six maps with which he illustrated his vellums. The work had to be postponed for other engagements; but as the interval was specially fruitful in the results of Palestine exploration, we have no reason to regret the delay. The Atlas as it appears contains not the "thirty to forty" maps promised, but sixty. They comprise first nine maps of the kingdoms and empires bordering on Israel, with the trade routes and other features clearly shown, and six others illus- trating the geographical relations of the Church and tho Empire during the early centuries of the Christian era. Eighteen maps are devoted to Palestine at particular periods of the history of Israel, and it is only necessary to compare these with older historical maps to realizs the strides made in recent years by the scientific study both of the Bible and of the country itself. Other maps illustrate the conceptions of the Holy Land and the world generally which prevailed at former periods. Finally, there is a large-scale map of four miles to the inch in eight sections with orographical colouring, which records the latest ascer- tained results both of research and of criticism in the physical features of the land and the identification of sites. Each map is furnished with a note giving the authorities on which it is based, and other infor- mation. We heartily congratulate Principal George Adam Smith on the completion of his labour, and Dr. Bartholomew on the clearness of the maps both in printing and colouring.
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