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One Year Ago - The Lowest Place on Earth

Herod's Palace at Masada NOTE: I am continuing my series of retrospective posts on the our tour one year ago. I invite you to start at the beginning and read through all of them.

A year ago today, we went to the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea. This beautiful body of water does not live up to its name...it exceeds it. The water in the Dead Sea is a beautiful shade of blue and is actually quite clear for several feet.

We began the day by driving down to Masada, where Herod built a beautiful palace. Years later, nearly a thousand Jewish zealots held off the Roman army for a couple of years by using this "stronghold".

Our next stop was at En Gedi, for a short walk up a path to a waterfall. It is interesting to see the abundance of water in this place given the arid environment around it. It is no wonder why David fled to this location while being pursued by Saul.

After a stop at Qumran (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found), we visited one of the oldest cities in the world, Jericho. You can visualize so many Biblical stories from this location.

We finished our day by trying to take a dip in the Dead Sea. Of course, everyone just floated to the top. But, it was a great day to end the day.

Tomorrow: We visit the Old City.

2015 Israel Poster B

Have you been enjoying these posts on last year's tour? Are you interested in traveling with me this year? Then, I would love to have you join me. Our 12-day tour is scheduled for October 12-23. We will stay one night on the Mediterranean Sea, three nights on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and five nights in beautiful Jerusalem. During the day, we will visit dozens of sites that will enhance your understanding of the land and of the Biblical stories that take place in them. Reservations are coming in, but we still have some availability! This is a first-class tour with many extras thrown in that many Israel tours overlook. If you are interested, I encourage you to read the itinerary and contact me personally for more details.

One Year Ago - Up To Jerusalem

bethshan NOTE: I am continuing my series of retrospective posts on the our tour one year ago. I invite you to start at the beginning and read through all of them.

A year ago today, we went "up to Jerusalem". I have read that phrase a hundred times in the Scriptures. But until you actually go up those mountains and find Jerusalem on the ridge, you don't quite understand it.

We left our hotel in Tiberias and traveled south, stopping on Beit-shan. The excavations at this city are amazing and from the top of the tel, you can see the strategic importance of this city. Any traffic traveling east-to-west through the Harod Valley or north-to-south through the Jordan Rift Valley could be closely monitored by this city.

We followed this stop with visits to the Spring of Harod (where Gideon gathered his army of 300 men), Jezreel (where Ahab and Jezebel had a palace) and Samaria (which was one of the capitals of the Northern Kingdom of Israel).

Traveling through this area allows you to see multiple examples of terraced farming, which demonstrates how the early inhabitants of the land adopted this hilly countryside into useable farmland.

Our journey for today ended at one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Jerusalem.

Tomorrow: From the heights of Jerusalem, to the lowest place on earth.

2015 Israel Poster B

Have you been enjoying these posts on last year's tour? Are you interested in traveling with me this year? Then, I would love to have you join me. Our 12-day tour is scheduled for October 12-23. We will stay one night on the Mediterranean Sea, three nights on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and five nights in beautiful Jerusalem. During the day, we will visit dozens of sites that will enhance your understanding of the land and of the Biblical stories that take place in them. Reservations are coming in, but we still have some availability! This is a first-class tour with many extras thrown in that many Israel tours overlook. If you are interested, I encourage you to read the itinerary and contact me personally for more details.

One Year Ago - The Sea of Galilee

arbel NOTE: I am continuing my series of retrospective posts on the our tour one year ago. I invite you to start at the beginning and read through all of them.

Admittedly, I have not seen every place in the entire world. But, the Sea of Galilee has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth. And when you combine that beauty with all of the Biblical history that took place in and around this lake, this quickly becomes one of the favorite spots on the tour.

Our day started off with a boat ride across the beautiful lake. From this vantage point, it is easy to visualize the paths that Jesus and His disciples took during the first century. Our boat ride ended with a visit to the museum at Nof Ginnosar, where we could see the remains of a boat from the first century.

During the day, we visited the cities of Capernaum, Magdala and Chorazin. We also visited a number of traditional sites such as the Church of the Beatitudes and the Church of the Primacy.

Our day ended with nearly the entire group sitting on the back porch of our hotel enjoying the last rays of the sun reflect off of the surface of the lake. (Sigh.)

Tomorrow: We go up to Jerusalem.

2015 Israel Poster B

Have you been enjoying these posts on last year's tour? Are you interested in traveling with me this year? Then, I would love to have you join me. Our 12-day tour is scheduled for October 12-23. We will stay one night on the Mediterranean Sea, three nights on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and five nights in beautiful Jerusalem. During the day, we will visit dozens of sites that will enhance your understanding of the land and of the Biblical stories that take place in them. Reservations are coming in, but we still have some availability! This is a first-class tour with many extras thrown in that many Israel tours overlook. If you are interested, I encourage you to read the itinerary and contact me personally for more details.

One Year Ago - Northern Galilee and the Hula Valley

The ruins of the ancient city of Caesarea Philippi.NOTE: I am continuing my series of retrospective posts on the our tour one year ago. I invite you to start at the beginning and read through all of them. Waking up on the shores of the Sea of Galilee is an experience like none other. Before the sun rises, you hear the water lapping up on the shore. Then, the eastern sky gradually changes from a deep, dark blue to a golden yellow. All of the sudden, the first rays of the sun poke through the trees in the Golan Heights. Every time that I see it, I imagine Peter, Andrew, James and John seeing very similar sunrises after a night of fishing. It is a beautiful thing to see.

One year ago, we spent the entire day traversing north up the Hula Valley. Our first stop was at Hazor. The size of this city is amazing and something that doesn't come through in the Biblical narrative. It is no wonder why Joshua thought it was so important to seize this city.

We drop past Abel Beth Maacah and remembered the story of Sheba. We walked through the tel at Dan. There we visited the High Place built by King Jeroboam to keep the people in the nation of Israel from traveling to Jerusalem to worship God. We also visited Caesarea Philippi and remembered Peter's confession of Jesus as the son of God.

As we drove back to the Sea of Galilee through the Golan Heights, we were able to look over into the modern country of Syria toward the city of Damascus. Paul received his vision somewhere in this area.

Our day ended at et-Tell, the possible location of the New Testament city of Bethsaida. Another wonderful day in the books.

Tomorrow: A full day around the Sea of Galilee.

2015 Israel Poster B

Have you been enjoying these posts on last year's tour? Are you interested in traveling with me this year? Then, I would love to have you join me. Our 12-day tour is scheduled for October 12-23. We will stay one night on the Mediterranean Sea, three nights on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and five nights in beautiful Jerusalem. During the day, we will visit dozens of sites that will enhance your understanding of the land and of the Biblical stories that take place in them. Reservations are coming in, but we still have some availability! This is a first-class tour with many extras thrown in that many Israel tours overlook. If you are interested, I encourage you to read the itinerary and contact me personally for more details.

One Year Ago - From Sea to Sea

NOTE: I am continuing my series of retrospective posts on the our tour from one year ago. I invite you to start at the beginning and read through all of them. After getting a good night's rest and leaving Netanya, we arrived at Caesarea Maritima. Simply referred to as Caesarea in the New Testament, this city played a prominent role in the book of Acts. The Gospel was first shared with the Gentiles in Caesarea. And Paul passed through this city many times as he traveled.

Rising up from the coast, we arrived at the top of the Mount Carmel ridge. This location offered us our first view of the Jezreel Valley. From this location, we considered the contest between Elijah and the prophets of Ba'al.

Our next stop was at Megiddo. This ancient city has been destroyed and rebuilt more than 20 times. Its location overlooking the Jezreel Valley made it strategically important and explains why it was conquered so many times.

At Nazareth, we visited a reconstructed first century village. This stop allows you to get a good feel for life during the time of Jesus.

Our day ended with our arrival at the Sea of Galilee. Watching the changing colors across the sea as the sun set was a great way to end our day.

Tomorrow: Exploring Northern Galilee and the Hula Valley.

2015 Israel Poster B

Have you been enjoying these posts on last year's tour? Are you interested in traveling with me this year? Then, I would love to have you join me. Our 12-day tour is scheduled for October 12-23. We will stay one night on the Mediterranean Sea, three nights on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and five nights in beautiful Jerusalem. During the day, we will visit dozens of sites that will enhance your understanding of the land and of the Biblical stories that take place in them. Reservations are coming in, but we still have some availability! This is a first-class tour with many extras thrown in that many Israel tours overlook. If you are interested, I encourage you to read the itinerary and contact me personally for more details.

One Year Ago - Mediterranean Sea

IMG_0182NOTE: I am continuing my series of retrospective posts on the our tour from one year ago. I invite you to start at the beginning and read through all of them. Typically, flights from the United States to Israel land in the mid-to-late afternoon. From a traveler's perspective, this is a very good thing. Upon landing, you usually have a rush of adrenaline because you are in a new place with so many fantastic things to see. This adrenaline rush usually lasts a few hours, which is enough time to land, go through Passport Control, grab your bags, drive out to the hotel and eat dinner before crashing in bed.

Our first night stay was in the beautiful coastal city of Netanya. Our hotel overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. That evening, there was a warm wind blowing in which made the air feel much warmer than it really was.

Upon waking the next morning, I saw about 5-6 of our group already up and walking along the coast. It typically takes a day or so for your body to adjust to the timezone change. These folks woke up early and instead of staying in bed, decided to take advantage of walking along the coast at sunrise. A wonderful way to start your day.

Tomorrow: Across the entire country, from sea to sea.

2015 Israel Poster B

Have you been enjoying these posts on last year's tour? Are you interested in traveling with me this year? Then, I would love to have you join me. Our 12-day tour is scheduled for October 12-23. We will stay one night on the Mediterranean Sea, three nights on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and five nights in beautiful Jerusalem. During the day, we will visit dozens of sites that will enhance your understanding of the land and of the Biblical stories that take place in them. Reservations are coming in, but we still have some availability! This is a first-class tour with many extras thrown in that many Israel tours overlook. If you are interested, I encourage you to read the itinerary and contact me personally for more details.

One Year Ago - On Our Way

DSC04227A few weeks ago, Steven Braman had a series of posts on his blog that discussed what he was doing exactly one year ago. I thought that was a good idea and since it was approaching one year since my last tour of Israel, I decided that I would do the same. One year ago, myself and 28 other intrepid souls took off to visit the land of Israel. I love studying and teaching about Biblical Geography. But, there is no better teacher than the land itself. It helps to give you additional context for your personal Bible study. If it was practical, I would encourage every student of the Bible to make at least one trip over there. You will be amazed at what you will learn.

Traveling to Israel from the United States is nearly a two day process. The tour starts and ends in New York City. So, a majority of the first day is getting from your house (wherever it is) to John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Once we were there, we were able to meet with all of the other travelers and discuss all of the exciting things that we were about to experience. It was a great way to start the tour before boarding our Boeing 747 and travel across the Atlantic.

Tomorrow: We land in Israel and arrive on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

2015 Israel Poster B

Have you been enjoying these posts on last year's tour? Are you interested in traveling with me this year? Then, I would love to have you join me. Our 12-day tour is scheduled for October 12-23. We will stay one night on the Mediterranean Sea, three nights on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and five nights in beautiful Jerusalem. During the day, we will visit dozens of sites that will enhance your understanding of the land and of the Biblical stories that take place in them. Reservations are coming in, but we still have some availability! This is a first-class tour with many extras thrown in that many Israel tours overlook. If you are interested, I encourage you to read the itinerary and contact me personally for more details.

New Video from Satellite Bible Atlas

The Satellite Bible Atlas by Bill Schlegel and Todd BolenThis morning, I received an email from Bill Schlegel, who lives in Israel. He (and the people that work with him) have produced the Satellite Bible Atlas. I first wrote about this book when it came out over two years ago. Since then, my passion for this book has not changed. It is an invaluable piece of my library. Since that time, they have released about ten videos that relate to different maps in the book. The latest video came out today. And it is fantastic. I encourage all of you to watch it...perhaps many times.

Knowledge of the geography of the Bible lands enhances your understanding of the Bible stories. And, this atlas and the videos assist you in that process.

At the very end of the video is a fantastic overlay of a map from the Satellite Bible Atlas on top of a 3D representation of the same area from Google. This segment of the video helps you to better understand the land that a two-dimensional map in the back of your Bible can not do.

Yossi Garfinkel Podcast

yossi_garfinkel_fc Last fall, Florida College (with the help of Luke Chandler) arranged for archaeologist Yossi Garfinkel to speak in their Life Enrichment Series. The audio podcast of this event has recently been released on Florida College's Special Events podcast. Mr. Garfinkel discusses the recently concluded dig at Khirbet Qeiyafa, a site overlooking the Elah Valley in the Shephelah. His wisdom and wit come through as he discusses their findings and how it relates to the United Kingdom during the time of King David.

While you can not see the slides that he is presenting, a listener should not have any problem following the discussion. This is especially true if you have a fundamental understanding of the location of Khirbet Qeiyafa as well as basic archaeology. I encourage you to listen to this wonderful presentation.

Walking the Via Dolorosa

DSCN0769 Last June, when our tour group was in Israel, we spent an entire day within the Old City. We started the day with a visit to the Temple Mount. Upon exiting the Temple Mount near the Lions Gate, we visited the ancient Pool of Bethesda.

Before leaving the area of the pool, I gathered our group together and explained to them that we were about to walk the Via Dolorosa. But, before we did that I wanted them to understand three things:

1) The Via Dolorosa makes the assumption that the Praetorium (John 18:28) was located in the Antonia Fortress, just outside the Temple Mount on the northwest corner. It also makes the assumption that Golgotha was located in the vicinity of the Church of the Holy Sepulture. 2) Even if those two assumptions are true, keep in mind that the original, first century Roman roads were located several feet under the current roads. 3) My current belief is that Golgotha was probably located in the vicinity of the Church of the Holy Sepulture. However, I was not as convinced in the location of the Praetorium being at the Antonia Fortress.

After giving them this information, I encouraged them to enjoy the walk through the Old City, consider the things that they are seeing and to study the matter for themselves.

This week, PBS released a short video about the Via Dolorosa. Recent archaeological findings are casting additional doubt on the current path that it follows. I encourage you to watch it. I tend to agree with the path that it proposes.

There is one other thing that I told my tour group last June. I told them that, in reality, our ability to walk the exact path that Jesus walked isn't really that important. What is really important was that Jesus walked it for all of us.

New Geography Book

book32-1024x804As I have mentioned a number of times in this blog, I love good maps. Along with that, I love good drawings and illustrations that aid others in learning about the Bible. Therefore, I was thrilled when I received Leen and Kathleen Ritmeyer's latest book "Jerusalem - The Temple Mount" in the mail this past week. I learned about the book six months ago, when the publisher put a temporary hold on it. However, due to many factors including the response from avid fans who wanted the book published, the hold was recently lifted. I ordered it immediately and it arrived last week. (Full Disclosure: I was one of those avid fans!)

Readers of Leen Ritmeyer's blog will recognize the amount of interest and knowledge that he has for the area of the Temple Mount. His posts and drawings of that area are fantastic. Visitors to that area now are often confused by what they see and by what they can no longer see. This book helps cut through all of the confusion and creates accurate representations of that famous hill throughout history.

The book contains three primary chapters entitled "A Brief History of the Temple Mount", "A Walk Around the Temple Mount Walls" and "A Tour of the Temple Mount Platform". Each chapter is well illustrated and are easy reads for even those that are not well-versed in the area. I would love to take this book with me the next time I am there and use it as a personal guide as I walk around. (NOTE: Using it on the Temple Mount platform could prove difficult. Outside of the Koran, very few, if any, books are allowed there.)

For those of you who are looking for a great, hand-held book on this area, I highly recommend adding this to your library. My cost was $31, which included shipping from Israel to the United States.

To Leen & Kathleen Ritmeyer: Well done. Thank you for taking the time to do this.

Israel Sandstorm

israel_sandstorm For the past couple of days, parts of the Middle East have been suffering from a sandstorm. Winds started earlier this week by blowing large amounts of sand and dust across the Mediterranean Sea toward Turkey. Since then, the winds have a more west to east component and the dust has been blown toward Egypt, Israel, West Bank and Jordan. (The picture above was taken this morning.)

In Deuteronomy, the people of that time are warned that by not obeying God, things like this would happen.

But if you will not obey the voice of the Lord your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. “The Lord will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and perish quickly on account of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken me. The Lord will make the pestilence stick to you until he has consumed you off the land that you are entering to take possession of it. The Lord will strike you with wasting disease and with fever, inflammation and fiery heat, and with drought and with blight and with mildew. They shall pursue you until you perish. And the heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth under you shall be iron. The Lord will make the rain of your land powder. From heaven dust shall come down on you until you are destroyed. - Deuteronomy 28:15-24

Photo courtesy of AFP/Getty Images.

I Finally Saw Jerusalem (At Home)!

IMG_0839 About three years ago, I heard about the upcoming release of Jerusalem, the IMAX movie from National Geographic. It looked wonderful and I could not wait to see it. I wrote a blog post about the official trailer and then another blog post discussing the scenes in the trailer. I also wrote a couple of additional blog posts involving pictures of Golgotha and the Temple Mount which were provided by the movie.

According to the website, the release of the movie was to take place at science theatres across the world. I live near Huntsville, Alabama, the home of the United States Space & Rocket Center (USSRC), the largest space museum in the country. I was hopeful that it would be on the list of theatres, but it was not. We were finally able to see the movie a little over a year ago in Tallahassee, Florida, on our way to see family for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Yesterday, we learned that USSRC began showing Jerusalem two days ago. This morning, we went to the theatre and enjoyed this wonderful movie again. If you want, you can read my review of the movie from our first viewing. The nice thing that was an added bonus was the grab bag that they gave to every person. It contained a huge poster of Jerusalem, with facts about the city. There was also a handout as well as a DVD with many features about the film. It was a nice surprise that I look forward to investigating further.

If you are a student of the Bible and you live in the North Alabama area, I encourage you to go to the United States Space & Rocket Center and see this movie. You can check their website for showtimes and prices. I am not sure how long the grab bag extra will last, so you might check with that when you get there.

Do you want to go to Jerusalem? Then join me this October for my 2015 Bible Study Tour of Israel!

2015 New Year Resolution

DSCN0042 Jonah was given an opportunity to do something for God. He was tasked with preaching to the people of Ninevah. He refused, ran the opposite way and boarded a ship to Tarshish.

Paul was also given an opportunity to do something for God. He was tasked with preaching to different cities in Asia Minor and points east. Paul accepted this responsibility and boarded a ship in Caesarea to fulfill his mission.

The attached picture is of a sunset over the Mediterranean Sea. No doubt, both Jonah and Paul saw a similar scene as they set out on their journeys. Jonah's journey ended in personal embarrassment and God's disappointment. Paul's journey ended in God's message being spread across the entire region.

As you begin 2015, resolve to accept God's requests of you without question. You can not predict the opportunities that God will present to you this year. Just accept them. Good will come from them.

You can also read 2013's and 2014's New Year's Resolutions.

Walking The Land

israel-national-trailThere is almost no down side to visiting Israel. For those of us who are students of Bible, it gives us the opportunity to actually see the locations that we have read about so many times. However, even being over there, it is easy to get a false impression. That is because we travel in nice, air-conditioned motor coaches and only on rare occasions leaving it for more than an hour.

Obviously, that is not how the characters of the Bible experienced the land. They walked on it. Every hill and valley takes on a totally different perspective if you are crossing it on your own two feet.

Earlier today, I read a great article by Matthew Karsten. He recently walked part of the Israel National Trail (INT). (The pictures in this story are fantastic!) The INT winds its way over 600 miles from Eliat to Dan. It crosses deserts, wadis, mountains, valleys, plain and even walks along the coast. As you can tell from the article, the land of Israel varies greatly within such a small area.

In my dreams, I would love to hike the entire trail. However, reality sets in and I know that taking that much time to hike the trail will probably not be possible. But, I do have a goal of hiking the Jesus Trail. That trail is about 60 miles and goes from Nazareth to Capernaum. This is definitely on my "bucket list" and one that I will do at some time. (Let me know if you would like to join me!)

I have previously posted about different people hiking these trails. I encourage you to read "Walk the Land", written by Judith Pex. Her and her husband live in Eliat and hiked the entire Israel National Trail. Also, you should read Larry Haverstock's blog. He is a friend of mine that hiked the Jesus Trail a few years ago.

Both of these trails allow you to experience the land of Israel in the very same way that many of the Biblical characters experienced the land.

Filled Wadis

A few days ago, Ferrell Jenkins wrote a post about the flooding that was taking place in the area of Qumran. These floods are the results of some strong winter storms that the country is experiencing right now. Heavy rains that fall in the Central Mountain Range quickly collect and overflow the dry river beds (wadis). Yesterday, Israel National News posted a video on YouTube of some of the filled wadis from the recent rain. (If you notice, they entitled this video "Blessed Rain of Israel". These type of rains are not a problem. They are a blessing.)

As you read the Bible, you'll notice that travelers of this land knew when to travel and where to travel. They understood the land and knew what could happen quickly during different times of the year.

Jerusalem Through the Ages

Jersalem, from the Mount of Olives. Visible are the Dome of the Rock with the blue domes of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the distance.Jerusalem is a beautiful city. And, when you stand on top of one of its many hills, you can't help but think of all of the history that has occurred within your field of vision. But, when people ask me to describe Jerusalem to them, I usually just joke and say, "it is confusing". The city has changed so many times over the millennia that it is often difficult to describe to visitors what they are looking at.

Of course, at the center of this confusion is the Temple Mount. A small piece of land that has changed so much that very little of the original hill remains. Over the past couple of weeks, Leen Ritmeyer has written a number of excellent blog posts on the history of the Temple Mount. I encourage all Bible students to read through them. Knowing a little bit more about the city of Jerusalem, and in particular the Temple Mount, will help you understand the Bible stories even more.

So far, he has written posts on the following time periods:

Mount Moriah Jebusite Period Time of Solomon King Hezekiah Ezra and Nehemiah Hellenistic and Hasmonean Periods

I look forward to more posts from Mr. Ritmeyer on this topic.

A Couple of Announcements

Trent_and_Rebekah_Dutton_20Oct13-SmallI 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!

Tel Dan Stele on Display in New York City

The Tel Dan Stele. Photograph taken at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem by Barry Britnell.The Biblical Archaeology Society announced today that the Tel Dan Stele (as well as other items from the ancient Near East) are on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City until January 5, 2015. For anyone in the area, this is a great opportunity to see pieces of history. The article states:

An extraordinary inscription from Israel referencing the Davidic dynasty is currently on display in New York. Written only about 150 years after King David would have reigned, the inscription is dated to c. 830 B.C.E. The inscription hails from Tel Dan in northern Israel and commemorates the conquests of Hazael, king of Aram-Damascus, enemy of the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Hazael claims to have killed both Jehoram, king of Israel, and Ahaziahu, king of “the House of David”—or Judah. That the nation of Judah is referred to as the “House of David” is significant because it is the only historical evidence of a historical David—a belief that had been hotly debated prior to this discovery—thus substantiating part of the Biblical narrative.

I have seen this stele a few times at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. I would encourage everyone who can to go by and see it.

A Visit to Magdala

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERADuring the First Century, the small city of Magdala sat on the west-northwest side of the Sea of Galilee. It was a fishing village with fairly significant industry in fish preservation. As students of the Bible, we associate the city of Magdala as the probable home of Mary Magdalene. Her last name was not "Magdalene", she was a "Magdalene" (an citizen of Magdala). Original mosaic floors from the synagogue in Magdala.In the First Century, as northbound travelers along the Via Maris (the "Way of the Sea") made their way through the Arbel Pass, they would arrive at the Sea of Galilee very near Magdala.

When I visited Israel for the first time in 2010, archaeologists were just starting to work on the site of Magdala. When I returned in 2012, the site was open to visitors, but access was extremely limited. You were not allowed to take photographs and most of the most interesting areas could not be seen up close. However, when I returned in June of this year, I was pleased to learn that they have opened up the site extensively and even offer limited tours with their staff.

Original wall frescos of the synagogue in Magdala.One of the highlights of a visit to Magdala is the opportunity to see the remains of a First Century synagogue. In the general area, there have been seven synagogues of that time frame found. However, this is the only one on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and this one is very well preserved. Not only can you see the exact size of it, you can see parts of the exterior corridors, the original mosaic floors and some of the original frescos on the walls. It is a tremendous find and very exciting to see.

Being able to visit a site like Magdala gives you better understanding to many verses in the Gospels in which it discusses Jesus going through the cities and villages of Galilee teaching in the synagogues. Did Jesus visit this synagogue in Magdala? Well, the Gospels never record that He did. However, I would suggest to you that it is a good possibility that He did.