John A. Beck

Making Bible Geography Meaningful

[John A. Beck @johnabeckauthor]

A door is opening for you to make the Bible's geography meaningful. Let's share the walk. # https://t.co/mBqV5EibHO

[BiblePlaces @BiblePlaces]

Before there were Roman bathhouses, paved streets, and collapsed archways for tourists to see, this was the view at Beth Shean. On top of the tell, you can see recent excavations. This photo was taken circa 1930.

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It's not easy to see where the Jordan River enters the Sea of Galilee, as no roads or paths will take you there.

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In ancient times, most people took one of the passes through Mount Carmel. The route around the mountain along the coast was not ideal for several reasons. But swamps have been drained and a highway built.

[John A. Beck @johnabeckauthor]

@Chandlershere And so it is.

[BiblePlaces @BiblePlaces]

Eric Matson labeled this photo "Caesarea. Site of southern theatre." What do you think? Can you see anything? The photo was taken in June 1938; the theater was excavated around 1960.

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In 1966, this is what the Hinnom Valley, the road to Mount Zion (but not Jaffa Gate), and the Bishop Gobat school (today's Jerusalem University College) looked like.

[John A. Beck @johnabeckauthor]

Life Is Full of Transitions | Our Daily Bread Video Devotional https://t.co/5x9sLmArRA via @YouTube

[John A. Beck @johnabeckauthor]

How Nature Makes God Visible | Romans 1:20 | Our Daily Bread Video Devot... https://t.co/zaTxHU6I9s via @YouTube

[John A. Beck @johnabeckauthor]

Finding Joy in Nature | Psalm 104:31 | Our Daily Bread Video Devotional https://t.co/Q0II5A3mtF via @YouTube

[BiblePlaces @BiblePlaces]

"And Ahab said to Naboth, 'Give me your vineyard, that I may have it for a vegetable garden'" (1 Kgs 21:2). This winepress on Tel Jezreel is not too far from where Ahab uttered those words.

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"The god that answers by fire, let him be God" (1 Kgs 18:24). Baal got the good end of the deal, since his specialty was sending fire (lightning) down from heaven, as shown on this stele from Ugarit, circa 1400 BC.

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How many buildings in the Bible can we positively identify today? Not many, but one of them is Jeroboam's high place at Dan (1 Kgs 12). The golden calf is gone, but remains of the altar and temple podium stand as a witness to the nation's folly.

[BiblePlaces @BiblePlaces]

Yesterday's photo of the gate was taken at Tel Beth Shean. This unusual photo shows a flock of sheep and goats walking down main street.

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There are not many views of the Hinnom Valley better than this one, taken by an American Colony photographer circa 1940.

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Before tourists could visit the southern Temple Mount excavations, the archaeologists moved a whole lot of earth. Robinson's Arch is on the left. Taken in 1968 by David Bivin.

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One imagines that the dirt roads into Nazareth didn't change all that often. Who might have passed this way?

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The southern end of the Sea of Galilee. Photo by Charles Lee Feinberg, circa 1962.

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Jerusalem, the city of redemption - where God will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death will be swallowed up in Christ's victory (Rev 21; Isa 25)

[Northern Research @usfs_nrs]

Land really is the best art.
~Andy Warhol #quotes

[BiblePlaces @BiblePlaces]

St. Stephen's (aka Lions) Gate once required a sharp left turn to get through the gatehouse (like Jaffa, Damascus, and Zion Gates). Today you can drive straight on through.