The Chronology of the Old Testament is a 319-page hardback book with an accompanying CD-ROM of chronological charts. The book thoroughly covers the chronological and mathematical facts of the Old Testament in an effort to demonstrate the consistency of the Bible. It begins with a section on "Establishing the Correct Foundation" and then proceeds to explain the charts, which are viewable in Adobe Reader format on the CD. The book includes extensive Appendices of more than 40 pages, a Bibliography and an Index. All 12 pages of Chart 5C are included in the back of the book as well. Full-size prints of the charts can be purchased separately. The book is completely black and white with many graphs, and diagrams included.

This book covers the chronology of the Bible from Genesis through the life of Christ using extensive diagrams, charts, and writings by Bible scholars. It would be ideal as a companion to the Annals of the World by James Ussher. It offers solutions to controversial questions regarding timelines and calculations made by other notable scholars over the years. Lengthy and well-supported explanations are offered for each series of charts on the CD-ROM. The author has obviously done a great deal of research pertaining to the overall time line of the Bible. It is designed to be a reference tool, but extremely interested students could certainly read it page by page.

Our family loves history. We found this book filled with information and facts that were extensively referenced and most definitely biblically based. The author is clear that the goal of the book was to offer a "standard" of Hebrew chronology and not an absolute one, so some may still find room for discussion regarding his calculations. The book is very wordy and is not an easy read for younger readers. We would stress that it is a high school or adult-level vocabulary. Unless your students easily define words like limmu, untenable, extant, emendations, attestation, and exegesis, you will want to keep a dictionary handy. Any high school student who delves into this book will be blessed with a great deal of information, fantastic references for further reading, and a biblically accurate representation of chronological history.

The charts are the undergirding of this entire book. Although they are easily viewed on the CD, the lack of a printed version is disappointing. As a history loving family, we would have thoroughly enjoyed the printed charts. However, viewing the charts on-screen is certainly adequate. The $25.00 price of the book and the $40.00 price of the printed charts quickly make this an expensive addition to a homeschool reference library. But the biblical excellence found in this material makes it a reasonable expense for our family. Although the extremely "wordy" writing may deter some readers, we appreciated the increased educational value in the vocabulary.

Our family absolutely loves The Chronology of the Old Testament by Dr. Floyd Nolen Jones. This book earns a well-deserved place in our schoolroom, alongside James Ussher's Annals of the World.

Product review by Donna Campos, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November 2007