Catching Up On Things...

image I apologize to everyone out there that keeps up with my posts. I have been very busy of the past couple of months and have not had time to post updates. So, let me catch up on a few things of interest.....

Appian Media - I have started working part-time with a small company that is traveling to Israel this week! We will be making some videos that will follow the life of Jesus. The first five videos will feature Jesus' birth, His temptations, and His early ministry. You can read all about what we are doing on the Appian Media website. In addition, you will be able to keep up with all of our efforts on the trip on the site as well.

Upcoming Tour of Israel - I am excited to officially announce my next tour of Israel. It will be June 5-16, 2017. There have been a number of people ask me about it, so I am pleased to share that information with you. You can read details about the tour on my website. From that page, you will be able to download a registration form and view frequently asked questions. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Satellite Bible Atlas Videos - Todd Bolen and Ferrell Jenkins have mentioned on their websites about the new videos from Bill Schlegel and the Satellite Bible Atlas. These videos (and the atlas that goes with them) are a great source of information. I highly recommend watching them.

Southern Tribes Allotment - Chris McKinny has a very interesting post on the allotment of the southern tribes. I encourage you to read it. Very interesting stuff if you are a geographical junkie. (I loved it.)

Understanding the Land

7_1_Hazor_FullTel_small A couple of years ago, some friends of mine (Trent & Rebekah Dutton) had the opportunity to spend six weeks traveling across the land of Israel on their own. This allowed them the chance to see the land from different perspectives that people on a normal tour do not get to see.

One of my favorite pictures in their collection is one taken from the hills west of the Hula Valley and north of the Sea of Galilee. The picture is directed toward the east and shows the Hula Valley spreading across the foreground and the Golan Heights rising in the distance. In the floor of the valley is the tel of Hazor. (In the picture, the tel is located in the bottom right hand corner just above where the road crosses the small ravine.) This picture is a perfect example of the importance of understanding the land and having pictures and videos to study by.

As I have mentioned before, I love maps. But even the best maps represent the city of Hazor as a simple dot. It is hard to appreciate the importance of the position of the city of Hazor unless you see the city from the perspective of this picture.

That is one of the many reasons why I am so excited about the Appian Media Kickstarter project. We are going to be making five 20-minute videos about the early life of Jesus. To do this, we are going to travel to Israel and capture video from the places where these events took place. By seeing video of these places, Bible students can better appreciate the writings in the Gospels and the narrative of Jesus. Our goal is to create these videos and give them away for free for Bible students all over the world. We have already reached our primary goal, so the videos will be made. But, we have a number of stretch goals that we would love to hit to provide additional resources for all of the users.

Will you help us?

Visit our Kickstarter page and please forward this link to anyone who you might feel would be interested. And please pray for our efforts and that God's Word will be spread.

Appian Media: Following the Messiah

Appian Media: Following the Messiah

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A couple of months ago, I was contacted by a couple of Christians living in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are both video producers and had spent a great deal of time looking for Biblically-based videos to be used in their classrooms for teaching. While there are a number of videos available, none of them fit their need exactly, or were not as Biblically accurate as desired. Tired of looking, they made the decision to make a series of videos themselves. They contacted me to learn more about traveling to Israel. After a number of email and phone conversations, they asked me to join their team and assist them with the logistics of the trip and helping to arrange the locations to go. I could not be more thrilled.

The plan is to produce five 20-minute videos covering the early life of Jesus. We will visit Nazareth, Bethlehem, Jerusalem and the Galilee. Our goal is to make this trip during the month of June. When we are completely finished, we will set up a website and allow everyone to download the videos for free.

The four of us on the team have agreed to use our vacation time from work to make this happen. Earlier today, we started a Kickstarter Campaign to raise the funds in order to do this. To this end, I would like to ask a couple of favors from everyone.

First, go and like our Facebook page. That is the easiest way to keep up with what we are doing.

Second, pray for the success of our efforts. Our goal is that we can produce these videos in such a way that they will be useful in spreading the Gospel and teaching others about Jesus. We need your prayers to help us do this.

Third, please spread the word about this campaign. The more people that know about it, the better chance we have at success. With Kickstarter, it is an "all or nothing" campaign. So, if we do not raise the full amount, the videos will not be made.

Finally, if you are inclined, we would appreciate your financial support. Go to the Kickstarter page, watch the video and look at the different levels of support. Regardless of the level you choose, you will be able to view and download the videos two weeks before they are formally released to the public. Higher tier donations will be able to request that members of the team come to your congregation to talk to your group about the videos and how they can be used in teaching.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me and I will be happy to answer them.

God's Promises Always Come True

God's Promises Always Come True

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IntroductionThroughout the ministry of Jesus, He often spoke of the destruction of Jerusalem. Most, if not all, did not understand what He was trying to tell them. In their eyes, the city of the Jerusalem was a magnificent city. In Mark 13, there is a discussion between Jesus and His disciples:

And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? There will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” - Mark 13:1-2

Why did the disciples not believe Jesus? Probably because what Jesus said just did not make sense to them. They could not imagine a scenario in which these “wonderful stones and buildings” could be destroyed.

They also did not truly believe in the promises of God.

A Quick Tour During the period of the United Kingdom, Solomon expanded the city of Jerusalem to the north and built a beautiful temple on the top of the Eastern Hill. It was constructed with lumber from Lebanon and precious metals from other places in the world. It was the pride and joy of the Israelite nation.

This temple was used (and misused) by the people for hundreds of years. Then, in 586BC, the Babylonians captured the city of Jerusalem and destroyed the temple. After the captivity ended, under the direction of brave men of God, the temple was rebuilt, but not to the former glory it once had.

When the Romans captured the land in the first century BC, King Herod started massive building projects across the land. In an attempt to appease the Jewish people, King Herod decided to enlarge the temple complex in Jerusalem. He chiseled away at the bedrock on the northern part of the Eastern Hill and used that rubble to fill in the area around the southern part of the hill. He then constructed a massive retaining wall around the entire area. The end result was a 36-acre raised platform containing an enlarged and renovated temple complex on the top. At that time, it was one of the largest building projects in the world. The Temple Mount was the centerpiece in the Roman-renovated city of Jerusalem. From anywhere in the city, the temple could be seen. And, within the city, all roads led toward the temple. It is no wonder why the disciples of Jesus were impressed (and perhaps even proud) of what they had in their own city.

After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, many parts of the city were buried in rubble and debris. Centuries of wind, rain and dust contributed to the burial process until there was almost no visible evidence of the destruction remaining.

In 1967, after Israel captured a portion of Jerusalem, archaeologists were able to begin the work of digging around the Temple Mount. Adjacent to the southwest corner, they found a first century Roman road. The pavement stones were almost entirely intact as they had been buried for centuries and protected. Along with this Roman road, there were also found shops, houses and mikvahs.

However, what interested Bible scholars was not necessarily the road itself, but what was found on the road. Scattered and piled along the road were huge hewn cut pieces of stone. Stones that obviously were used in the construction of something. The road area underneath these stones had been damaged by the stones as they were dropped upon them. These stones were from the Temple Mount platform area. They were either from part of the retaining walls or one of the other structures built on top. As the Romans destroyed the city and burned the temple, these stones were thrown down onto the road below.

Just like Jesus said would happen.

Lesson: God’s promises always come true. Throughout history, God has made promises. In fact, the first recorded words of God to Adam and Eve was a command, followed by a promise.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” - Genesis 2:15-17

Later, after man disobeyed God’s command, He offers all of mankind hope in another promise to the serpent, Eve and Adam.

The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” - Genesis 3:14-17

Of course, all of these promises came true.

In our lifetime, we meet thousands of people. Consequently, we will have many promises made to us. Some of these promises are ones with small consequences (“I’ll make my bed later this morning”, or “I’ll take the trash out before it rains”). But others have much larger consequences (“I promise to love, honor and obey you, until death do us part”, or “I promise to raise you up as a child of God.”).

If we surround ourselves with good people, very often these promises are kept. But sometimes, through no fault of our own, people break the promises that they made to us. In these times, we feel disappointed, sad and rejected. It is easy to think that the promise was broken because something came about that was deemed to be more important than yourself.

Luckily, we have a God that is loving, patient and true. He promised Noah salvation from the flood. He promised Abraham a large family and a land. And He promised the prophets of the impending destruction of the nation. All of those promises came true.

God has made promises to all of us. And as we have discussed, God’s promises always come true. If we forget, all we need to do is to remember this Roman road in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem The Movie - Rental and Purchase

Jerusalem The Movie - Rental and Purchase

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In the past, I have discussed "Jerusalem The Movie" several times. Here are some of the links:

Jerusalem The Movie Trailer Details of Jerusalem The Movie Trailer I Finally Saw Jerusalem The Movie I Finally Saw Jerusalem The Movie (At Home)!

Now, I am glad to say that the movie is available for rental or purchase via iTunes, Amazon Prime, Google Play, etc. Last night, my family rented it and watched it again. Of course, it is not as impressive as watching it on the huge IMAX screen, but enjoyable nonetheless. I encourage you to watch it and learn a little bit about this amazing city.

An Opportunity to Travel to Israel

An Opportunity to Travel to Israel

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In 2010, I made my first tour to the country of Israel. As a Bible student and as one who loves geography, this tour helped me to better understand many parts of the Bible. Until this tour, I understood WHAT the writers were saying, but in many ways I didn't understand WHY they said it the way that they did. The tour caused me to go back and restudy many passages that I had taken for granted. That tour was one led by Ferrell Jenkins. Mr. Jenkins has been leading tours to Israel since 1967. (For those of you who are familiar with history, his first tour was just a couple of weeks before the Six-Days War.) Soon after this tour, I decided that I wanted to try to lead tours to Israel as well. I spoke with Ferrell many times about it. He offered me guidance and patiently answered all of my tedious questions. I returned to Israel with him in 2012 to learn more about the land as well as leading tours.

Since that time, I have successfully led two tours in June 2014 and October 2015. There is an unspoken thrill in helping people to understand the geography of the Bible and watching it all "click" in their minds.

Next year, Mr. Jenkins will be leading another tour in which he will be celebrating 50 years of leading tours. If you have ever had an interest in going, I encourage you to contact him and let him know of your interest.

Recently, he published a short article answering many questions that he (and others that lead tours over there) receive concerning the safety of travel in Israel. In that article, he references myself and my recent tour. To that end, I wanted to lend my words in confirmation of what he states in the article.

My most recent tour was last month. If you paid any attention during that time, there were items in the news concerning physical confrontations between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Many of these confrontations resulted in injuries and deaths. Sadly, these reports are true. But, they were very isolated and failed to tell the complete story.

One morning that we were in Jerusalem, I was watching FOXNews and there was a headline on the bottom of the screen stating "Israel in Chaos". I immediately turned and looked out my window. I could see cars on the streets, people riding bikes to work and children (with their Superman and Barbie backpacks) walking to school. The situation on the ground was nothing like what was being portrayed on the television.

While there were problems, this was limited to an extremely small minority of the population. While we were over there, we never saw any problems. We were greeted by warm, loving people who were glad to see us and welcomed us with open arms.

Each day, my tour group rested comfortably in the hotels, ate delicious food in the restaurants and visited dozens of Biblical sites. We shopped in the Old City. We spoke with the shop owners. And we experienced the culture of the people. On nearly every day, someone from my tour group mentioned to me how safe they felt in Israel. Since we have returned, many have privately mentioned to me that "they never had a single concern as we traveled".

Our world is a world who does not look to God. For the most part, the people of this world seek their own self interests over the interest of God. When that happens, bad things occur. They always have and they always will. Occasionally, bad things happen in Israel. I will not deny that. But, you know what? Bad things happen in your hometown as well. Do you need proof? Watch your local news tonight. I don't care where you live, within the first ten minutes of the news, you will hear a story of someone being assaulted or perhaps even killed. It is sad, but it is true.

Yet, without thinking about it, you will head into your local hometown where those bad things happened. Do not let your perception of the situation in Israel keep you from enjoying the thrill of a lifetime and growing as a student of the Bible.

Next spring, Ferrell Jenkins will lead a tour to Israel. If you are a student of the Bible, I encourage you to consider going and celebrate 50 years of touring with him. You will be able to watch the sun rise over the Sea of Galilee. You will see the Valley of Elah where David defeated Goliath. And you will be able to stand on the Mount of Olives and look over Jerusalem. It is a great opportunity. Don't miss it.

(NOTE: If you have any specific questions about security, please feel free to contact me. I'll be more than happy to answer any question that you may have.)

The Sea of Galilee

The Sea of Galilee

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For many years, I read the words "Sea of Galilee" without thinking about it very much. It was just a name of a body of water. That changed when I finally saw this "sea". In reality, it is not a sea at all (at least the way that we think about it). It is really just a small lake. For instance, "Lake" Okeechobee in Florida is about 730 square miles in size. The "Sea" of Galilee is only 64 square miles in size. The Sea of Galilee is less than 10% of the size of Lake Okeechobee, yet one is called a sea and the other is called a lake.

So, why is it called a sea? To answer this question, you need to think about the body of water in antiquity and consider other bodies of water in the area. The other two main bodies of water in this area are the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea.

In the Bible, the Mediterranean Sea is called "the great sea" (Numbers 34:6-7, Joshua 1:4, Joshua 9:1, Joshua 23:4, Ezekiel 47:10, Ezekiel 48:28, etc). The Dead Sea is called by a variety of names in the Bible. It is called the Salt Sea (Genesis 14:3, Numbers 34:3, Joshua 3:16, etc), the Sea of Arabah (Deuteronomy 3:17, Joshua 12:3, etc), and the Eastern Sea (Zechariah 14:8).

Incidentally, the Sea of Galilee is also known by a few names. It is called the Sea of Tiberias (John 6:1, 21:1) and the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1).

Did you notice anything interesting about all of these names? They are not necessarily names as they are descriptions. Think about the names again. The Salt Sea. The Great Sea. Do you see it? They are really descriptions of the bodies of water.

With that in mind look back at the name "Sea of Galilee". The Galilee is an area of land in northern Israel punctuated by wide flat valleys and numerous hills and mountains. Over any given year, it receives a lot of rain and the rich soil is very good for agriculture. There is also a body of water in the Galilee. This body of water is about 8 miles wide and 12 miles long and is the largest body of water within the Galilee. During Biblical times, the people described this body of water as a sea. It is the "sea" in Galilee, or the Sea of Galilee.

This helps explain why this relatively small lake is called a sea. Think about it.

Final Thoughts

Final Thoughts

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Our final day in Israel started with a visit to the Garden Tomb, sometimes referred to as Gordon's Calvary. This site is often offered as an alternative site to Golgotha from the Church of the Holy Sepulture. In my opinion, it is probably not the site of Golgotha, but it is a nice place to visit anyway. Afterwards, we visited the Israel Museum. Seeing the large, outdoor mode of Jerusalem during the first century helps to bring everything we have learned together. This model is a powerful teaching tool and I always encourage my tours to take many pictures. We were also able to view many of the Dead Sea Scrolls and many items in the Archaeological wing of the museum.

We drove out to the coast and walked around ancient Joppa. This stop in the late afternoon offers some panoramic views of the coastal area of Tel Aviv. I am always reminded of how Jonah came here and unsuccessfully tried to run away from God.

After dinner, we headed to the airport and flew home. It is hard to believe that this tour is already over. I always encourage my travelers to use this tour as a jumping off place to learn more about Biblical geography. If you understand the land of Israel, many of the Biblical stories become clearer and will enhance your understanding of the scriptures.

Before the nation of Israel entered into the promised land, Moses described the land to them. He said:

For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. - Deuteronomy 8:7-10

Until next time, shalom.

Note: The photo at the top of this post is our group shot from the Mount of Olives.

The Shephelah

The Shephelah

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One of the most interesting parts of the land of Israel is a part of the land that we rarely study. That area is called the Shephelah. In our English Bibles, this is usually translated as "lowlands". It is a small area of land between the Coastal Plain and the Central Mountain Range. During. The period of the United And Divided Kingdom, this area played a major role in many of the Biblical stories. Our first stop was at he Sorek Valley, commonly known as the stomping grounds of Samson. From the tel at Bet-Shemesh, you can see Zoar (where Samson grew up), Timnah (where Samson went to find a wife) and the overall valley (where Samson burned the fields find a wife) and the overall valley (where Samson burned the fields by using a number of foxes).

About a ten minute drive away is the Valley of Elah, the site of the famous battle between David and Goliath. By standing in this valley, and reading the passage, this story takes on a very personal and richer meaning.

After making a brief stop at Lachish, we made our way down to Beer-Sheva, the home of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. From the top of the tel, you make the transition to the Negev.

It was a wonderful day and we look forward to more adventures tomorrow.

Two Days of Touring

Two Days of Touring

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Shalom everyone! I apologize for not posting anything last night. When you lead a tour, sometimes there are things that you need to do to make sure everything is set up and ready to go.

We started yesterday morning at the top of the Mount of Olives. After taking our group picture, we were able to view this beautiful city and discuss many of the Biblical events that happened within the view. We then walked down the Mount of Olives to the traditional site of the Garden of Gethsemane.

The City of David was next on our agenda. After viewing the possible remains of the palace of King David, we walked down to the Gihon Spring. Most of our group then walked through Hezekiah's Tunnel, which still has water flowing through it 2700 years after it was built.

After lunch at Ramat Rachel Kibbutz, we drove to Bethlehem. We stopped by Kando's Store and viewed the largest Dead Sea Scroll jar that has been preserved. From here, we went to the Church of the Nativity, the traditional site of the birth of Jesus.

This morning, we started at the Western Wall. This Jewish holy site is always a highlight of the tour. Everyone had the opportunity to touch the wall and have their picture made in front of it.

We then went through the Western Wall Tunnels to view some of the huge stones that comprise this massive building effort by King Herod.

After a stop by the Pools of Bethesda, we walked the Via Dolorosa to the Church of he Holy Sepulture. Tourism is very high here in Israel, and the church was no exception. I estimate that the queue to see inside the crypt was at least three hours.

It was now lunchtime and I wanted to visit one of my favorite places, Jacob's Pizza near the Jaffa Gate. I mentioned it to the group, and before I knew it, nearly all of the group was following me to taste this homemade pizza. It was delicious and I'm glad that everyone enjoyed it.

After eating, we walked through the Spice Market and saw different sites in the Jewish Quarter. We ended the day by touring the Davidson Archeological Museum and sitting on original temple steps from the first century. A great way to end the day.

Tomorrow, we will head to one of my favorite places in the land, the Shephelah.

Until then, shalom.

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To read other blogs about the tour, here are a couple of links:

Jeremy Dehut - www.jeremydehut.com

Jane Britnell - journeyswithjane.blogspot.com

The Lowest Place on Earth

The Lowest Place on Earth

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Sunday is always a special day. But I always especially enjoy gathering with fellow Christians while traveling in Israel. Today was no exception. Members of the tour led us in prayer, led songs and presented thoughts for our consideration. It was nice to pause our tour and take time to worship God. Afterwards, we left the hotel and headed toward the Dead Sea. Our first stop was at Masada. King Herod built a huge palace on the top of this plateau to visit when he wanted to escape Jerusalem. In 70AD, almost 1,000 Jews hid on that mountain and finally took their own lives instead of becoming Roman slaves. The view from the top was a little hazy, but still breathtaking.

Our next stop was at En Gedi. Bible students know that this was the place that David fled to when he was being pursued by King Saul. Of course, he went there because there was water there. Even today, there was water flowing over a waterfall even though it has not rained here in six months.

The site of Qumran is famous because it is here where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. After eating lunch, we were able to visit this site and learn how they were found and what it means to us.

We ended the day by driving down to the shores of the Dead Sea and allowing those who wanted to, the opportunity to float in this beautiful sea. Fun was had by all.

Tomorrow will bring new adventures and more things to discover. Until then, shalom.

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To read other blogs about the tour, here are a couple of links:

Jeremy Dehut - www.jeremydehut.com

Jane Britnell - journeyswithjane.blogspot.com

Down The Rift Valley

Down The Rift Valley

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This evening, we arrived in the beautiful city of Jerusalem. Unlike what is being reported on the news right now, it is exactly as I remember it from my last visit. In fact, when we arrived at Jericho today, it was more crowded with tourists than I have ever seen it. So, whatever is being reported back home isn't exactly what is happening here on the ground. In other words, as much as we all appreciate your care and concern, we are doing just fine. I always hate leaving Galilee, but that is what we were required to do to keep on our schedule. Very soon, we found ourselves at Tel Jezreel, the site of the palace so Ahab and Jezebel. From the hillside, you can see the locations of many Biblical stories.

Shortly thereafter, we arrived at the Spring of Harod. Gideon narrowed his army to 300 men by giving them a test here. The water was actually flowing a little bit. Since we are at the end of the dry season, I had not expected this.

A visit to Bet She'an was next on the agenda. The amount of ruins that are visible here is overwhelming. By claiming to the top of the tel, you get a good appreciation for the strategic importance of this location.

By driving down the Jordan Rift Valley, we found ourselves at Jericho. Whenever we stop there, I want to talk to the group for an hour discussing all that happened here. But, it was very hot when we arrived. So, I abbreviated my comments and then finished them up when we were all back in our touring coach.

After a quick visit to the traditional baptismal site, we made our way "up to Jerusalem". We will spend the next five nights here and enjoy all of the sites in this wonderful city.

We are all having a great time and the sarcasm is getting more and more intense. I can't wait to spend time with all of them again tomorrow.

Until then, shalom.

Up The Hula Valley

Up The Hula Valley

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As I write this post, I am sitting on the balcony of my hotel with a view of the Sea of Galilee. As a Christian, it is difficult to put into words what it means to see this beautiful location. Peter, Andrew, James and John used to fish these waters. Jesus calmed a storm that raged on these waters. Jesus walked on these waters. All of those events happened within sight of where I now sit. I am truly humbled to be here and to be sharing this experience with this group of people. We started our final day in this region by visiting the ruins of Chorazim. Jesus cursed this city for their unbelief. While there, we were entertained by a number of rock badgers that cross-crossed the paths in front of us.

We followed that visit by driving north up the Hula Valley and visited Hazor. By standing on the top of this tel, it is easy to understand the strategic importance of this location. It is no wonder why Joshua conquered this city as part of his northern conquest.

We drove by the tel of Abel Beth Maacah. While going by, we read the account from 2 Samuel of the wise woman of this city who singlehandedly saved her city.

A visit to the northern part of Israel is not complete without a visit to Tel Dan. As you walk around the high place built by King Jeroboam, you are reminded how this single decision probably condemned his nation in the years to come. We also visited the Israelite Gate and the even more ancient Canaanite Gate.

Our next stop was at Banias, known in the Bible as Caesarea Philippi. By seeing he remains of the pagan temples that was the main part of this city, it is easy to understand why Peter stated that "Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God."

As we drove back to the Sea of Galilee, our path took us through the Golan Heights. We made one stop at an overlook where we could see the Syrian plain in the direction of Damascus. Saul walked near here when he saw his vision of the risen Jesus.

Tomorrow morning we will leave Galilee and go "up to Jerusalem". As we do so, I will think of my wife, who loves the sea, but graciously stayed home and watch the kids and allowed me to come here. I will also think of all of the memories that have been made in the past days and the more that will be made in the days to come.

Until then, Shabbat Shalom.

A Day Around The Sea

A Day Around The Sea

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When we arose this morning, the sky was crystal clear and it provided a wonderful sunrise over the Golan Heights. Seeing this view from the Sea of Galilee is always humbling because you know that many of the early disciples saw the same view when they lived in is area. After breakfast we boarded our boat for a ride on the Sea of Galilee. From this unique vantage point, you can visualize many of the Biblical stories and where they took place. We disembarked at the museum at Nof Ginnosar and were able to view the ancient boat that was found in the mid-80s not too far from here.

We visited the Church of the Beatitudes (the traditional location of the Sermon on the Mount), the Church of the Primacy (the traditional location of the events recorded in John 21) and the ruins of Capernaum.

For lunch, we ate St. Peter's Fish in the town of Migdal. We then climbed to the top of Mt. Arbel for an amazing view of the Sea of Galilee. We concluded our day by seeing the ruins of a first century synagogue in Magdala.

Overall, it was a wonderful day. The temperature has been warmer than what we were expecting, but everyone has handled it without complaint. I'm lucky to have the opportunity to travel with these amazing people.

Tomorrow, we will head north of the Sea of Galilee and visit the sites of Hazor, Dan and Banias (Caesarea Philippi). I can't wait for this adventure to continue. Until then, shalom.

All The Way Across The Land

All The Way Across The Land

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This morning our group was met with a beautiful sunrise from the coastal city of Netanya. After breakfast, we drove up the coast to visit the ancient city of Caesarea. It is interesting to note that The apostle Peter took a very similar path to this while he was on his way to speak with Cornelius about the Gospel. Leaving the Coastal Plain, we drove up into the Carmel Mountain Range to visit the traditional site of Elijah"s contest against the prophets of Baal. By standing there on that ridge, you can visualize Elijah leading the prophets of Baal down to the Kishon Brook go their demise.

imageThe view across the Jezreel Valley from amazing from Meggido. Standing on the summit of the city, you can easily learn why this city has been so important through the centuries.

Our final stop of the day was at Nazareth village. This replica city shows what life would have been like in the first century.

Our group has arrive in Tiberias on the edge of the Sea of Galilee. It was a great day. Looking forward to our adventures tomorrow.

Landing In Israel

I am happy to report that our group made it successfully to Israel this evening. Or flight was a bit delayed leaving New York City so it was dusk when we arrived in Tel Aviv. However, even though we are tired, our group is safe and ready to hit the ground running in the morning. To read more about our tour, I encourage you to read other blogs from people on the tour:

Jeremy Dehut - www.jeremydehut.com Jane Britnell - journeyswithjane.blogspot.com

Now, after being awake for 30+ hours, I'm off to bed.

Traveling Back to Israel

Traveling Back to Israel

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Well, I am heading back to Israel. In just a few days, I will be leading a group of 25 people as we head to Israel to study the Biblical land. I am excited about the opportunity to get back over there and to share my passion for Biblical Geography with those traveling with me. All of the arrangements have been made and finalized. The only thing left to do is to go over there and start enjoying the time. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned in three different posts why I enjoy studying Biblical Geography. I enjoy teaching it to others. But, there is no better teacher of the land than the land itself. Standing on the top of the Mount of Olives, or floating on the Sea of Galilee allows you to appreciate the Bible in a completely different way. You understand why the Biblical writers wrote the way that they did. Nuances in the text that we often pass over become vitally important.

While we are traveling, I'll be posting blogs to the Exploring Bible Lands website as well as pictures to the Exploring Bible Lands Facebook page. If you have an interest in Biblical Geography, I encourage you to join us virtually as we travel through the land.

Until we arrive in Israel, shalom.

Why Study Biblical Geography? Part III

file_zps5d96c665In my last two posts, I have discussed two reasons why I study Biblical geography. For review, they were: Reason #1: I study Biblical geography to better understand God's people. Reason #2: I study Biblical geography to better understand God's Word.

Today, I'm going to discuss the final reason, which is:

Reason #3: I study Biblical geography to better understand God.

Imagine yourself standing on the Mount of Olives. Most likely, you see yourself spending most of your time staring at the huge Temple Mount area as you slowly locate different Biblical sites.

Now, imagine that King David is standing next to you. You could ask him, "Isn't that beautiful?" He would answer "yes". But, then you notice that he is not looking in the same direction as you are. He is looking south of the Temple Mount area.

See, in David's time, the city of Jerusalem sat on a small, 9-acre peninsula of land just south of the current Temple Mount. That is where the ancient Jebusite city was located. It was there due to two reasons. First, with the Gihon Spring, there was a nice water source. Second, with valleys and hills around it, the city was easily defendable.

Jerusalem, during the time of David, was bounded by the Hinnom Valley to the south, the Kidron Valley to the east, and the Central Valley on the west. On the opposite sides of those valleys were hills. Across the Central Valley, the western hill rises to about 2600 feet in elevation. Across the Hinnom Valley, the southern hill rises to about 2500 feet in elevation. Across the Kidron Valley, the Mount of Olives rises to nearly 2700 feet in elevation. The city of Jerusalem sits at approximately 2400 feet in elevation.

Why did I tell you all of this? I told you all of this so that you would understand one single verse. It reads:

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. - Psalms 125:2

Isn't that beautiful?

This psalm was written at a time in which the entire city of Jerusalem sat on this small piece of land and it is surrounded by hills that are all higher than the city itself. The writer of this psalm is expecting us to fully understand these geographical features so that we can completely appreciate the point that is being made.

And in doing so, we can better understand God.

Why do I study Biblical Geography? Three reasons: 1) I study Biblical geography to better understand God's people. 2) I study Biblical geography to better understand God's Word. 3) I study Biblical geography to better understand God.

Why Study Biblical Geography? Part II

elahIn my last post, I discussed the first of three reasons why I study Biblical geography. In that post, I mentioned that the first reason was: I study Biblical Geography to better understand God's people. In this post, I'll discuss the next reason. Which is:

Reason #2: I study Biblical Geography to better understand God's Word.

If I were to ask you to tell me the story of 1 Samuel 17, more than likely, you would relate a story to me similar to this: "There was a Philistine giant named Goliath that came out and taunted the Israelite army for 40 days. Finally, a shepherd boy named David agreed to fight Goliath. David, founded by a solid faith in God, took five stones from the brook and approached the giant. He then took out a stone and slung it. The stone struck the giant in the head and he died. It was a glorious victory for Israel."

If you would answer my question like that, you would be like nearly everyone else. However, that is not the way that the Bible tells the story. The Bible describes Goliath beginning in verse 4 and describes David beginning in verse 12. So, what is in the first three verses of that chapter? Well, let us read it.

Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. - 1 Samuel 17:1-3

This is a story about geography! Yes, there are important lessons to be learned about David and his faith in God. But to fully understand the importance of this battle, you have to understand the geography of the area! If you understand the geography (including the Coastal Plain, the Shephelah and the Hill Country), then the real importance of this battle can be understood! This is why the Bible gives such a high level of detail regarding the geography.

By understanding the geography, it helps you to better understand God's Word.

(NOTE: The picture at the top of this post was taken on my tour last year. They are walking in the brook that runs through the Elah Valley where David pulled his "five smooth stones".)

Why Study Biblical Geography? Part I

The Spring of Harod, at the foot of Mount Gilboa.Sometimes people ask me, "Why do you study Biblical geography so much?" Generally, I study Biblical geography because it helps me to understand the Bible more. But, to answer answer the question specifically, I can think of three reasons. I will cover these three reasons in the next few posts.

Reason #1 - I study Biblical Geography to better understand God's people.

As Moses was giving final directions to the nations of Israel, he states:

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. - Deuteronomy 6:4-9

God wanted His people to teach their children about Him as they walked by the way (or, as they walked across the land). Three times a year, the nation of Israel were required to go to Jerusalem for the feasts. As they made those trips, it would provide a number of opportunities for the parents to talk to their kids about God.

As they passed the Spring of Harod, the could explain how God used Gideon and a small army of only 300 men to take on and defeat the Midianites.

As they passed Mount Carmel, they could explain how God and Elijah took on the prophets of Baal and proved that He was the one and only true God.

As they passed the ruins of Jericho, they could explain how God used His power to render a fortified city defenseless against His people.

By studying Biblical Geography, we can better understand God's people and how they taught their children.

In my next two posts, I'll discuss two other reasons why we need to study Biblical geography.