Friday, January 8, 2010

Amazing Bible Timeline



Product: Amazing Bible Timeline
Price: 29.97$US

I received this product several months ago to review for the TOS Homeschool Crew. I initially opened it up and took a look at it and said, "It's not for us." I rolled it back up and stuck in a corner of my office. However, I did have to review it so a couple weeks before the due date, I pulled it back out and took a closer look at it. The thing about The Amazing Bible Timeline is that I feel totally inadequate to review it. I don't feel adequate to review it from a religious point of view, and I don't feel adequate to review it from a historical point of view (I see issues with both, but don't know enough to really feel comfortable pointing them out).

I will instead review it purely from a homeschooling point of view.

First of all, we don't use timelines in our homeschool very much so for us it wouldn't be very useful. For those of you that do want a VERY complete biblical timeline this is great. There are overlapping colours and codes so that it makes it easier to see who lived during the same time period. It would take forever to try to chart that all out for one's self so if you like time timelines then perhaps this would work well for you. There may be too much information for the youngest of homeschoolers, though, and I can see this getting the most use in homeschools with high school age students or as part of an adult Bible study.

My main issues with this timeline really had to do with its practicality of use. It is MASSIVE so would take up a lot of wall space. Because of it's ovular shape having it on a wall would not be practical unless one is used to reading with their head tilted (we are not!). The font is also a little unusual and very small in places so I found myself squinting at the timeline from time to time. Ideally, you would have this timeline set up long term on your dining room table covered by a plastic table cloth (the same way so many of us already have world maps) so that you could walk around it and take a magnifying glass to it if need be. However, I don't know too many people that have a dining room table quite big enough for this timeline.

I think that the idea of this timeline is good. It would be a benefit to someone looking for a very complete biblical timeline. I think it is ideal for an adult doing a Bible study of their own as there is a ton of information that may be confusing to younger children. As a homeschooling family, my biggest concern was with the practicality of it's use and because of that it will remain rolled up in a corner somewhere in our place and will NOT get regular use. Sure, it might get pulled out from time to time to look something up but it's not something we'll run to regularly.

To find more critical reviews of the religious content of this time line please read some other crew members' websites before purchasing by visiting the TOS Homeschool Crew's website. To find out more about the Amazing Bible Timeline be sure to check out their site .

***Any products reviewed by me as a member of the TOS Homeschool Crew have been given to me free of charge in order for me to provide you with an honest review of the product and/or how we used the product within our family. I do not receive any other form of compensation for the reviews posted on this blog.

4 comments:

  1. I can relate to your feelings of inadequacy with this product! You are honest in this review, and I like that. Some people love timelines, but we have really never implemented them in our homeschool either.

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  2. Well written review, Katrina. You can't love everything... not everything will "fit" your family. You gave a balanced review, explaining where it would be useful, in what type of homeschool family, and it's merits and drawbacks.

    Well done!! I know that it is very hard sometimes to write a review for something you aren't very comfortable with...

    Be so blessed!

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  3. Good review, Katrina. I think it's balanced and honest. You did good! :-)

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  4. Thank you for the kind comments. I can't believe I waited so long to post it!

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