Most of us give Christmas gifts that are quickly forgotten. After the iPhone gets cracked, or the DVD gets watched, or the sweater gets snagged, they all end up at the landfill. This year, why not give a gift (or ask for one) that will last a lifetime?
Bible Lands study tools make great gifts because they take your personal Bible study to the next level. What’s more, they don’t wear out.
Here are my top 5 recommendations this year for gifts you’ll enjoy giving (and receiving).
Even though I’ve been to the Holy Land many times, I’ll never see all of it. One resource will show you more than any other.
All together, the 18-Volume Expanded Edition of the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands includes more than 17,500 High Definition photographs from 9 countries in the ancient Mediterranean world.
My recommendation for starters? Get the “Israel Collection.” It includes volumes 1-5:
These are more than just High-Resolution pictures from the Holy Land. Special care has been taken to photograph biblical sites.
Nothing else rivals the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands. If a picture paints a thousand words, then thousands of high-resolution pictures are even better. I use these images constantly on my blog, and I have used them for years in my teaching and personal Bible study.
You can read more about this one-of-a-kind resource as well as how to order the collection or individual volumes.
The most basic resource for personal Bible study in Bible lands is a good Bible atlas. Good atlases provide more than maps; they teach the importance of geography as it relates to history, archaeology, topography, climate, and soils.
Although there are several outstanding atlases are available today. I recommend the Zondervan Atlas of the Bible by Carl Rasmussen. This was the first atlas I read, and I still use it often. Dr. Rasmussen is a conservative Christian scholar who has taught in Israel for years, and his writing is trustworthy.
I list several other good atlases in my recommended resources page.
In addition to the Scripture itself, The Archaeological Study Bible includes:
Download a sample chapter (all of Genesis!) and you’ll see why The Archaeological Study Bible would make an excellent gift.
There are several that I list on my recommended resources page. Here are the cherry-picks:
Why not surprise your spouse, a friend, or your pastor with a trip to the Holy Land? I’d love to have you join me on an upcoming tour!
On this tour, I will help you connect the Bible and its sites to your life.
Make your gifts this year last a lifetime! Give the gift of a great Bible Lands study tool.
Tell me what you think: What other great Bible Lands tools would make good gifts? To leave a comment, just click here.