I have a couple of important updates that I am really excited about.
First, ever since I started this website, my goal has been to provide information to you that you can use in either your personal Bible study or in teaching others about the Gospel. To that end, Trent and Rebekah Dutton have agreed to help me. I first met Trent and Rebekah in 2012 as we traveled together in Israel on one of Ferrell Jenkins' tours. Soon afterwards, they decided to pursue Masters degrees in Biblical Archaeology. In the summer of 2013, they spent eight weeks participating in a dig at the Philistine city of Ashkelon. From there, they enrolled at Jerusalem University College for a semester before moving to Chicago to finish their coursework at Wheaton College. Last summer, they were able to go back to Ashkelon and continue their work for a second dig season.
While they were in Israel, they took some time to travel throughout the country and photograph it from all angles. Within the next couple of days, they will begin to share some of their pictures with you by posting them to the blog. If you haven't signed up to have the blog automatically emailed to you, I highly encourage you to do that. Our goal is to post a new picture every weekday. But, be patient with us. Sometimes we get busy!
Second, for those of you who have not heard otherwise, I have scheduled my next Bible Study Tour of Israel! It is scheduled for October 12-23, 2015. For Christians, I highly recommend taking a trip to Israel. Many of the Bible stories that we have read our entire lives take on new life and new understanding when you can see the locations in which they took place. This tour is perfect for married couples, parents & children, grandparents & grandchildren, singles, teachers, preachers and students of the Bible. For more information, please check the Exploring Bible Lands website for an itinerary and frequently asked questions. This is a high-quality tour. If you have any interest, please contact me soon so I can help you reserve a space.
So, in summary: 1) Be sure to sign up for the blog to receive the daily pictures, and 2) Seriously consider joining me on my tour next year!