I am currently reading Asimov’s Guide to the Bible (old and new testament). I find it entirely enjoyable and very informative, but I wonder at its validity a biblical history.
What general opinion does Asimov’s Guide to the Bible carry within the religious ranks and biblical scholars?
Keep in mind I am an atheist and I am reading mainly for the historical and factual representations of the bible and biblical history. No preaching please.
I remember the books doing very little religious interpretation and predominantly sticking to explaining historic, vocabulary, and geographic references. They were also very useful for the many references between books of the Bibles.
They are about 30 years old now, and a huge amount of new discoveries and scholarship have intervened. While they are still good for explaining many of the allusions that were obvious to the writers but obscure today, I’m not sure I’d trust them on the fine details anymore.
The Bible As History by Werner Keller has been very useful to me. Originally from 1965 but revised 1980.
BTW, as a religious person, I found Asimov’s book to be informative in many areas, but he comes across as fairly anti-religious.
This is merely an opinion, but I don’t see how you’re gonna get much more than opinions here.
Enjoy! 
Seems to be OK, but now dated, of course. He took a lot from other sources, who are generally recognized as experts. However, a much better “read” than those expert in context.
Asimov gives the reader his view on what the book is intended to do in the Introduction.
Take it as that, informative for the layman but not contributing anything to Bible scholarship.
Those who are religious won’t like it since Asimov has a skeptical outlook.
I’ve found this book as objective as any, which is because Asimov was an atheist himself.
Another great book is Secret Origins of the Bible by Tim Callahan.
Not as objective as Asimov, but more informative.
I thought he concentrated on the easy parts and just ignored the hard parts.
Of course, I do that too.
I have also found the books by Werner Keller good at explaining the non-religious aspects of the Bible. He does of course approach the whole subject from a religious perspective, but on the whole he keeps to factual evidence from archaelogy and he keeps the academic levels modest and enjoyable.
Dries Venter