Archive for December 2016
Bethlehem Christmas Cave
Away in a Manger The time-honored traditions of Christmas are dear to the hearts of Christians today. The story of the first Christmas recaptures the imagination as it is retold year after year in Bible readings, carols, Christmas pageants. Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet…
Read MoreThank You, Phoebe
Apostle Paul Visits Cenchrea The Apostle Paul and his companions visited Cenchrea after nearly eighteen months of ministry in Corinth, during the his Second Journey. He mentioned a woman named Phoebe in Romans: I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea (or Cenchreae) that you may receive her…
Read MoreLibrary of 15,000 Scrolls
Visit Library in the Central City Our Ephesus Bible tour on our Footsteps of Paul Mediterranean Cruises, will explore Paul’s time at Ephesus. In that time period, Ephesus was considered the center of travel and commerce in the ancient world. The city was situated on the Aegean Sea and was one of the greatest seaports. Today,…
Read MoreShepherds of Ancient Biblical Practices
Thousands of members of the Beta Israel community, also known as Ethiopian Jews, celebrated a unique holiday at the end of November. Traditionally on Sigd Holiday, the community fasts for a day during which they meet in the morning.
Read MoreAncient Celestial Calculator
Astronomical Timepiece Discovered In 1900, off the Greek Island of Antikythera, an ancient timepiece dated from 250 B.C. was discovered in the ruins of a shipwreck. This artifact, called the Antikythera mechanism, is the most sophisticated mechanism known from the ancient world. Found housed in a wooden box, the device is a complex clockwork mechanism composed of…
Read MoreDead Sea Holy Experience: Take a Dip
Dramatic Setting for Bible History The Dead Sea was a theatrical backdrop for many events in Bible history. It is where the patriarch Abraham fought a war, where David hid from King Saul, where the prophet Ezekiel had visions, and near where the story of Masada took place. For the Christian tourist, the Dead Sea is an…
Read MoreFact or Fiction? Examining Evidence of Noah’s Flood
Noah’s Famous Flood Story Questioned The story of Noah’s Ark and the Great Flood is one of the most famous from the Bible. Next to Creation, the Flood of Noah’s day is the greatest single geological event in the history of our Earth. Nothing has so transformed the earth geologically than this cataclysmic event. There are…
Read MoreBirding, Early in South African Nature Reserve
Birding in South Africa Deep in the bushveld of South Africa, away from bustling cities and noisy streets, you’ll find a plethora of bird life with a variety of colors that no artist’s palette could cover. When rising early, one can see the unique African birds active in the early morning hours. It’s a birding…
Read MoreRevolt Against Rome
Tragic Last Stand at Masada At the edge of the Judean Desert, on a rocky plateau overlooking the Dead Sea, lies the excavated ruin of a royal citadel. It was the last stronghold held by Jewish Zealots who refused to submit to Roman occupation. When they could hold out no longer, Masada became the backdrop…
Read MoreSwitzerland: 5 Top Reasons it’s a Hot Reformation Teaching Site
Switzerland and the Reformation The Switzerland Reformation began in 1519 with the sermons of Ulrich Zwingli, whose teachings largely paralleled Luther’s. Geneva, Switzerland soon became a hotbed for Protestant exiles. In 1541 John Calvin, who had spent the previous decade in exile writing his Institutes of the Christian Religion, was invited to settle in Geneva…
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