A tour of a road map of the United States yields some interesting place names. In Pennsylvania you can travel through Philadelphia, Bethlehem and Nazareth in a few hours, not to mention a few other locations with biblical names.

In states from California to Texas you will find plenty of names with biblical significance. America has more Bible names than anywhere else in the world except the lands where the histories of the Bible occurred (Daniel Lapin, "Cultural Impact," Louisiana Family Forum, Sept. 11, 2006).

The reason for this biblical infusion is that America was founded and traversed by individuals for whom the Bible played a strong role in daily life. For many generations the Bible was the only book owned by most people, and for their children it served as both a spiritual tool and a textbook of the English language.

While modern America may not always appreciate or abide by the Bible, its history and future are inextricably linked with the impact of that book.