The Bible identifies figures and peoples as being "chosen by God." But in surveying the history of holy lands, Michael Coogan notes how power struggles and persecutions are made sacred by claims of chosenness. He reminds us how Puritans in New England planted the seeds of American exceptionalism, believing that God had been saving the land for them, while in contemporary Israel, Zionists use Scripture to justify a Palestinian land grab. Coogan critiques such self-serving approaches, and suggests we might instead focus on another key biblical concept: providing succor to the refugee.