Bible Atlas. By Stephen Motyer, Illustrated by Brian Delf. Dorling Kindersley pound;9.99

Forget maps. These two extensively illustrated books are, according to your prejudices, much more user-friendly or much less demanding than conventional atlases. Indeed, the Egyptian volume has maps on only 14 of its 60 pages while in The Bible Atlas, the maps form a sort of wallpaper on which are posted pictures and textual panels.

The Atlas of Ancient Egypt provides a fascinating introduction to the history and culture of the Nile valley. It does not shrink from specialist terms such as “predynastic” and “third intermediate period”, but still provides an enticing and instructive overview of this highly developed civilisation, not only a world that consisted of pyramids and tombs, but one where children had sophisticated toys, breweries produced good beer and cats were sacred.

Between double-page spreads on topics such as food, writing, trade and art, we are told the history of the 3,000 years that separated the first Egyptian kings from Cleopatra and subsequent rule by Rome. It is a pity that the index (which limits itself to proper names) is not as helpful as the illustrations and that there are not more links to the histories of neighbouring peoples.

No such problem with the Bible Atlas. Its 20 spreads embrace the Jewish emigration from Ur to Canaan, the exiles in Egypt and Babylon and Paul’s Mediterranean excursions, as well as significant events in the Holy Land itself.

With its equally strong narrative thrust, this too is as much a history as a geography text, albeit one written firmly from a committed believer’s viewpoint - a partiality compounded by some surprisingly literal illustrations. For example, the Red Sea parts into watery cliffs; a huge bolt of lightning zooms out of Heaven at Elijah’s request and Jesus ascends thither exactly as he did in Sunday School books of a long-gone era.