Emperor Hadrian - Photo Taken at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum For those hurt by death’s menacing power, this image will mean a lot to you. In a vivid display of dominion and power, Emperor Hadrian (76-138 A.D.) stands as a victorious warrior over a menacing enemy of Rome. Variously interpreted as either a Dacian warrior or a Jewish Zealot from the Bar-Kokhba revolt, the trampled subject is shown in an obvious display of subjugation and defeat. Discovered in 1987, the s

Located today at Sultanahmet Square in Istanbul, Turkey, this 65-foot granite obelisk dedicated to the Egyptian god Amun-Ra once stood at a temple in Karnak, Egypt. Commissioned by Thutmose III to commemorate his victorious military campaign over the Mitanni, this well-known Egyptian Pharaoh reigned from approximately 1504-1450 BC. While the Bible does not reveal his name, it seems almost certain that it was Thutmose III who died prior to Moses’ return to Egypt following his

Pompeii is one of the most incredible places to visit in the ancient world. The reason it is so cool is because it is a snapshot of life in ancient times. When the volcano Vesuvius exploded, it buried the city under several feet of ash, leaving it exactly as it was in 79 AD. If you want to know what a Roman town looked like down to the ruts in the road, you can see it at Pompeii.

By John W. Moore Imagine the ridicule and the stares! The man from Nazareth, Jesus, the curious teacher from the temple, had just mixed his saliva with dirt from the ground and wiped it on a poor blind man’s eyes! Steps leading down to the Pool of Siloam located at the southern end of the eastern hill in Jerusalem Then, on top of that, he told the blind man to walk from where they stood near the temple down the crowded, precipitous street to the Pool of Siloam to wash his eye

The Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) church in Istanbul is one of the most iconic church buildings in the entire world. The original structure that became the building that we see today was built in the 6th century by Justinian I. The central feature of the church is the massive dome that makes it a landmark in the Istanbul skyline. (Interestingly, some claim that Islamic mosques, now famous for domed architecture, did not feature a dome until after the Islamic conquest saw the Hag

A Helpful Look at a Powerful Story The Sea of Galilee from Mount Arbel and the Plains of Gennesaret below The disciples of Jesus rowed painfully throughout the night to navigate their ship. In the early morning hours their battered vessel was still some three miles from the shore. When night seems its darkest, the unthinkable gradually unfolded before their eyes. It was a ghostly figure moving upon the surface of the deep, and adult men (some of them seasoned commercial fishe

The Dead Sea from the Judean Wilderness with the Mountains of Moab in the distance Intense rays from the sun shimmer through a haze in the skies, glittering on the placid surface of the Dead Sea. An enormous basin of scrabbly pebbles and jagged stone, all baked to a uniformly scorched brown, jumble together and rise to form the mesas and peaks of the Judean mountains in the west and the hills of Jordan to the east. In stark contrast to the faded landscape, the vivid turquoise

BP IMAGE INSIGHT: I can’t believe I’m writing this. I’m not really a flower enthusiast, but this delicate flower from Israel has an important lesson for living life. It’s known as the Black Iris, and it is a part of a rare and legally protected family of irises found only in an area east of the Mediterranean. Judean Iris of the same Family of the famous Gilboa Iris in Israel Among the most popular and well-known is the Gilboa Iris found on the Gilboa mountain range mentioned

The Christians in the first century were faced with a choice. Who would they claim as Lord? Was it lord Caesar (kyrios Caesar) bringing his

From the Iron Age Period a Stone manger discovered at Megiddo in Israel Away in a Manger, But Not in a Barn” is part of a title in an excellent article written by Gary Byers who argues that Jesus was born on the lower level of a typical Palestinian home of the first century. He notes that “baby Jesus [was] placed in a manger on the ground floor of David’s ancestral home in Bethlehem because the upstairs ‘guest room’ was already full” (BAR, Nov. 2021). Thus, the typical portr

At left - Caesar Augustus in his role as Emperor: At Right the veiled Cesar Augustus in his role as Pontiff Maximus (photos taken at the Vatican Museum and the National Archaeological Museum in Rome) Gender distinction, religious observance, and social equality were some of the hot button topics under discussion in Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth. In particular, the question of whether to cover your head during the worship assembly was addressed. Why would the apostle

It’s NOT what you might expect. Instead of a dry, dusty place, northern Israel is lush and abundant with vegetation, especially in the area of the Dan Nature Preserve. Nestled at the base of Mount Hermon, the spring and tropical environment of ancient Panias (pictured above) is situated along the geographic region of the fertile crescent near the Golan Heights. It was an ideal location for settlers, farmers, and traders who took advantage of not only the moderate temperatures

IMAGE INSIGHTS - It is hot, rugged, and home to a some of the rock badgers and wild goats of Israel. With its thousands of small caves and fissures it is an ideal location for finding refuge and escape from an enemy or the heat of the desert sun. This 56 by 12-mile-long barren and inhospitable land is wedged between the Dead Sea and the mountains of Judea and was the setting for several important events of scripture. In this barren location of Judah's territorial allotment,

IMAGE INSIGHTS (Qumran and Isaiah 40:8): Located near the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, the Wadi Qumran is the celebrated site of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Essene community of the Jews. Nearly 1,000 manuscripts of the biblical text (and others) were represented in the thousands of fragments and scrolls written on parchment and papyrus. Discovered in a series of caves between 1947 and 1956, the Dead Sea Scrolls are arguably the most important discover

IMAGE INSIGHTS (Arch of Titus and 2 Corinthians 2:14): The Arch of Titus with its depiction of the Jewish menorah and table of showbread reminds us of the fulfillment of a prophecy made by Jesus in Matthew 24. Longing to throw-off Roman hegemony which had been in place in Israel since 63 BC, the Jews revolted and fought bitterly against the armies who had occupied their land. Vespasian and Titus, of the Flavian dynasty that ruled the Roman empire from AD 69-96, reconquered m

IMAGE INSIGHTS: In the rocky terrain northwest of present-day Ein Bokek, a large rugged escarpment known as Masada stands defiantly in the desert territory of the Dead Sea. Located in the lowest region on earth, this natural defensive outpost towers some 1,424 feet above the dry and barren creek-beds below. The word masada is found in the Hebrew Bible and is often translated in English as “stronghold” or “fortress.” This uniquely shaped escarpment was only approachable by a

IMAGE INSIGHTS: The ancient city of David and Jerusalem’s temple mount (Mount Zion), where Islam’s Dome of the Rock rest today, is lower than the adjacent hills. Biblical Jerusalem is surrounded by three valleys and sits at an approximate elevation of 2,428 feet above sea level. This Bible Land Passages photo was taken from the slope of Mount Scopus which is nearly three hundred feet higher than where the Temple once stood. To the south lies an even higher hill, Eztel Hill (H