The Past Sheds Important Light on the Present and Future

For most Americans, Iraqi history began with the 1991 Gulf War, but in reality, American and British soldiers have followed a well-worn path to the ancient city of Baghdad. Battles have been fought on the fertile strip of land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers countless times over the centuries.

There is a lot of detail about those battles in history books, but Sue Sandidge, 55, of Shoreview, Minn., says reading the Bible can also give you a lot of perspective. "The stories in the Bible were written by people who lived through the ancient wars in that region and knew first hand what happened."

Sandidge studied the Old and New Testament while attending Wellesley College in Massachusetts. She honed her research skills obtaining an M.A. from Tufts University and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. She has authored three books that help the layman understand the Old Testament’s great stories.

"The Bible is written in such a way that it follows a time line, but you wouldn’t know that through the lessons you get in Sunday School," says Sandidge. "I researched and wrote these books because I wanted to do a better job explaining what’s in the Bible to the kids I was teaching. To do that I had to have a better in-depth understanding of the Bible myself."

Sandidge’s first book, "I Will Bring You Back: The Story of Jacob, His Sons, and His God," tells the story of the man who founded the nation of Israel. "Jacob’s story plays a significant role in the history of the region. "God promised the land of Israel to Jacob, and his descendants have held God to it, even to the present day," Sandidge says.

"Tell Joshua: The Wars of the Judges," tells the saga of how Joshua led a landless nation in a five year battle to gain a homeland in Canaan and how the leaders, or judges, that followed him fought to keep it. At one time during this era Israel was conquered by Cushan-Rishathaim, "the dark lord of double evil," who is described as the Saddam Hussein of his day.

Sandidge’s third book, "King David in the Valley of the Shadow of Middle Age: What Israel’s Greatest King Knew about Survival and Faith," describes the life of King David. One of David’s many wars pitted Israel against the combined powers of King Hadadezer, another Hussein-like character from the land along the Euphrates, and King Hanun, who ruled the Ammonites to the east of Israel.

"Sue Sandidge brings biblical stories to life in an engaging and highly readable manner," says Chris McCormick, a professor who teaches child development in Charleston, Illinois. "The lively description and discussion of the stories allows the reader to know these people and think about them in ways pertinent to our world today. This book is a ‘page-turner,’ and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in a coherent and contemporary reading of the biblical record."

Laura Van Riper, a graduate student from St. Paul, Minnesota, says she had a hard time understanding how the biblical stories fit together, until she picked up Sandidge’s books. "Sandidge gives the background and makes the connections that are not apparent to the casual reader and covers parts of the stories that are often skipped over in church. She tells the story in an easy to understand way and explains the social, political and geographic relationships present at the time."

"Sometimes it is hard to relate the stories of the Bible to events of the present day, but the events of the Bible happened in real places that still exist," says Sandidge. "I hope my books can make the stories of these places come alive so that readers can understand how important and special they are."

All three of Sandidge’s books about the Bible are available for sale on Amazon.com and Xlibris.com/Bookstore. On the Xlibris Web site, a sample chapter of each book is available for viewing. Sandidge’s books can also be ordered through any major bookstore.