If you regularly read my blog, it’s likely you share my interest in the Holy Land. Where biblical events took place are more than throwaway mentions in the pages of Scripture. Often, they have significant bearing on God’s participation in the lives of His people.
(Photo: Sunrise over Mount of Olives, courtesy of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands)
Unfortunately, because we’re unfamiliar with geography we often miss these nuggets. I have found a lot of help in several Holy Land blogs that open up the Bible’s lands to my understanding.
I want to share with you 5 of my favorite Holy Land blogs and provide you an easy way to follow them.
There are typically two ways to subscribe to blogs:
- E-mail—allows you to receive fresh updates in your inbox each time the blog has a new post. Very convenient.
- RSS—this stands for “Real Simple Syndication.” This method allows you to quickly read a blog’s “feed” in a feed-reader like Feedly. Here’s more info if you’d like it.
Okay, so here are the blogs I recommend:
This is my first stop when I want to research a topic, find information on a site, or keep up with archaeology in the Holy Land.
Dr. Todd Bolen lived and taught in Israel for eleven years, and he has taken thousands of digital photographs of the Bible lands—and they are the best and most exhaustive I’ve seen. You’ve probably noticed I use the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands in many of my posts. The home base for these photos is the excellent Web site at BiblePlaces.com.
Todd posts on his blog several times each week. Subscribing via email or via RSS will keep you up to speed with issues related to biblical geography, history, and archaeology.
2. The Land and the Book Blog and Podcast
When Cathy and I took our first trip to Israel many years ago, Dr. Charlie Dyer led the tour. Charlie is a Middle East expert, and his love for the land of the Bible is contagious. (I caught the disease and I’ve never recovered.)
The Land and the Book Blog looks at issues in the Middle East from a Christian, evangelical perspective. Covering everything from Bible questions, to archaeological finds, to political issues—this is a great place to get a perspective you can trust. Subscribe to the blog via RSS.
You’ll want to subscribe to Moody Radio’s broadcast/podcast, The Land and the Book with Dr. Charlie Dyer. The program “helps you understand the complex tapestry of people and events that make up Israel and the Middle East from a biblical perspective.” Charlie often has guests on his program, and I had the privilege to be one. You can subscribe via iTunes.
Ferrell Jenkins is a veteran traveler to the Bible Lands, journeying and leading tours in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Greece, Italy, and Cyprus. That about covers it!
Ferrell has many excellent photos, and his blog provides a regular commentary on biblical studies, archaeology, travel, and photography. You can subscribe on his blog or via RSS.
(Photo: Theater of Ephesus, courtesy of Holy Land Photos)
It’s rare to find quality and generosity in the same place, but you’ll find it here.
Dr. Carl Rasmussen has traveled extensively in the Holy Land with camera in hand. He provides great images of the Holy Land for FREE. The emphasis of this growing blog is on the images. He adds more pictures regularly, and you can subscribe for updates via email or via RSS.
By the way, Dr. Rasmussen’s excellent Zondervan Atlas of the Bible is one I own and recommend. He even offers free use of the atlas images.
5. Ritmeyer Archaeological Design
Dr. Leen Ritmeyer has been involved in the major archaeological excavations in Jerusalem for decades.
His specialty is the Temple Mount, and his blog will keep you up to date on the latest happenings with relation to it—as well as to research, analysis, and products on archaeology. His book, The Quest: Revealing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, is the standard work on the subject. I recommend you pick it up.
The graphics on this blog originate from the precision of an architect. I have the poster of the Reconstruction of the Temple Mount near my desk. It’s not hard to imagine the Temple Mount in Jesus’ day after looking through this site. You can subscribe via RSS.
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Oh, and by the way, if you haven’t already subscribed to my blog—you can do so via email or via RSS. I take the Holy Land beyond the academic and show how it contributes to your spiritual life.
I’m confident you will enjoy and benefit from each of these blogs—as I have.
Question: What other blogs, Web sites, or podcasts do you recommend? Please leave a comment by clicking here.
Want To Tour The Bible Lands From Wherever You Are?
Embark on an immersive, online journey through the sites of the Bible with Wayne Stiles and Walking the Bible Lands. Click below to learn more:
