I was one of a group of 16 people who participated in BAR’s Israel seminar this past summer—a stimulating, invigorating (and slenderizing) six-week exploration of the Holy Land.
There was more to the adventure than trying to absorb an overwhelming amount of Biblical archaeology and geography; I also added a new cultural awareness to my understanding of the past, as well as the present, in the Middle East. Whether we were in the Philistine plain discussing David and Goliath, walking through Hezekiah’s tunnel, climbing Mt. Sinai, traveling around the Sea of Galilee, diagramming our maps in the Jerusalem study center, or sitting on the roof of our hotel in Tiberias and reviewing (with slides) the day’s events, it seemed that our instructors, Jim Fleming and Randy Smith, had an inexhaustible supply of knowledge that they were eager to share with all of us. Of course, we did have our evenings free to collapse, study, explore or just relax in the cool night breezes.
Believe me, it was fun! So many new sights, sounds and smells to stir the five senses and the imagination. Sometimes, as I think about it, it seems like a dream—but it wasn’t, and I now ask myself one question: when can I go again? Until then. I’ll get out my album, and as I look at all the photographs I took, I’ll be reliving those wonderful moments. Here is a small sample of those photos. I wish they could mean to you what they do to me.
I was one of a group of 16 people who participated in BAR’s Israel seminar this past summer—a stimulating, invigorating (and slenderizing) six-week exploration of the Holy Land. There was more to the adventure than trying to absorb an overwhelming amount of Biblical archaeology and geography; I also added a new cultural awareness to my understanding of the past, as well as the present, in the Middle East. Whether we were in the Philistine plain discussing David and Goliath, walking through Hezekiah’s tunnel, climbing Mt. Sinai, traveling around the Sea of Galilee, diagramming our maps in the Jerusalem study […]
You have already read your free article for this month. Please join the BAS Library or become an All Access member of BAS to gain full access to this article and so much more.
